Calculations
by Selena Antares
Summary: It is the job of a shinobi to foresee every possible outcome. However, there is one variable that is impossible to predict, and Uchiha Itachi and Akamine Miyako are about to discover what it is.
1. Plus or Minus 1

**So, yeah, I'm back. And once again, I'm starting a new story without finishing the one I started like three years ago. Yeah, I'm inconsistent. Deal with it. Actually, this story is a result of some inconsistency on my part, namely my switching affection from one character to another. But whatever. This story works more anyways. So here's Calculations. Enjoy!**

**Fanfiction: Fiction written by fans for other fans about the ****fandoms**** that they like. In other words, I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

* * *

_"After the lights go out on you_

_After your worthless life is through_

_I will remember how you screamed_

_I can't afford to care_

_I can't afford to care"_

_"Lights Out" by Breaking Benjamin_

* * *

Uchiha Itachi planned for everything.

He knew all of his targets well enough to know how the night would unfold. He had foreseen all their movements, all their reactions, all their attacks. He knew who would present the greatest challenge and who would be easier to take down. He had calculated the amount of time it would take for them all to fall, and how soon it would be before the village discovered what he had done. But by then it would be too late. The Uchiha clan, one of the oldest and most powerful in the history of Konoha, would be gone, brought down by one of their own.

It all went as he had planned it. There was crying and screaming, kunai and shuriken thrown, some of the Uchiha clan's greatest jutsu used against him. None of it mattered. He was on autopilot, cutting and stabbing, using his new Mangekyou Sharingan to predict their movements. It was all over soon, all exactly as expected.

Except for one.

His little brother stared at him, pure and utter terror in his eyes. He had come in just after Itachi had killed his parents, the one thing that he hadn't predicted. He had meant to take care of them after his brother. It was unfortunate that his brother had seen them on the floor. It would just mean that he would be more upset, and there would be more crying. Nothing unexpected, nothing difficult. He could still kill Sasuke.

So why couldn't he move his arm?

His brother… the one person who made him feel that he was still human. With everything he did for Konoha, the espionage and the killing, he sometimes felt that he was losing his mind. Sasuke's competitive and energetic spirit made him more feel like the child he had never been allowed to be. And he was about to end that.

_But… could he? _

He had to.

_Why?_

He needed to prevent war.

_What did Sasuke have to do with it?_

He was an Uchiha.

_So was he._

He had to complete his mission.

_Is that all this is?_

It was his family or Konoha.

_And is Konoha always right?_

He did everything for his village.

_Even kill his little brother?_

…

No.

So for the first time in his life, Uchiha Itachi went against orders and left his brother alive, leaving orders of his own. Hate. Run. Live. And one day, fight. Show that he was worthy of living.

Itachi wasn't there when the massacre was discovered by two little girls who lived nearby. He didn't know that he had already been entered in the bingo books as an S-rank criminal. And he didn't see the elders shake their heads and frown at his failure to complete his mission. But that didn't matter to him, because his little brother was alive.

That was Uchiha Itachi's first mistake. It would not be his last.

* * *

"**Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." –George W. Bush, former U.S. president. Thank God.**

**Don't forget to review!**


	2. Plus 4

**Hooray! Next chapter! I'm especially happy about this because most of the time I get stuck halfway through Chapter 2! And I'm using way too many exclamation marks! Oh well! Bonus points to anyone who finds the allusion to one of the greatest comic strips of all time!**

**Thanks to floraHelialover and operaluva823 for reviewing! I'm glad you guys liked it, although, operaluva, I think you might be a little biased… but I still love reviews. So go on being biased.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Miyako, Rini, Fumio, and Saki, all of whom are the joint property of me and operaluva823.**

**Enjoy the chapter! **

* * *

_And now you arrive_  
_As soon as I'm about to forget you_  
_Look for your path somewhere else_  
_While I look for the time that I lost_  
_Since today I am better without you_

_"Mientes" by Camila (Translation)_

* * *

Akamine Miyako planned for everything.

She knew her opponent as well as she knew herself, and she knew exactly what the other girl would try to do. Right now it was a kunai attack, but soon she would switch to a flurry of taijutsu. Then it would be a genjutsu she had recently learned, followed by another kunai attack. If the pattern held true, there would be an opening for Miyako to deliver a death blow between the taijutsu and genjutsu.

Really. Her sister was far too predictable.

Sure enough, there was the taijutsu. Her sister kicked out hard with her left leg, and Miyako dodged quickly as they traded punches and blocks. Miyako swept her right leg under her sister's feet, who leapt away and started moving her hands in a series of symbols. It looked like the one they had just learned the day before, a mistake on her sister's part. She wasn't used to the combination of hand signs yet, and was moving more slowly than usual. The corners of Miyako's mouth turned up slightly in anticipation of her opening. Quicker than the eye could see, she flew forward, knocking her sister into a tree and pushing a kunai up against her throat. "Checkmate," she hissed.

Her sister's eyes widened. Before Miyako could say anything else, a perky voice interrupted. "All right! So that's Straightface twenty-six, Neon Boom twenty-five!" Miyako removed the kunai from her sister's throat and scowled at the source of the voice.

"Do you have to call me that? It's absurd."

"No, it isn't! It fits you perfectly!" Aome Saki, Miyako's irritatingly cheerful teacher, grinned at her and turned to her sister, who was still up against the tree. "Jeez, Rini, you let her get to you too easily! What happened to the whole completely unpredictable thing?"

Rini straightened and pulled a twig from her hair, faux-pouting. "I don't know! Something about Miyako-chan just neutralizes it! She's too… too… boring!"

Saki gasped. "You're right! It must be Miyako's complete adherence to all rules and regulations that saps you of your creativity and leaves you open to attack! How can you fight outside the box when the walls are closing in?"

"You can't!" Rini shrieked. "They're… too… close… Must… regain… creativity…" She collapsed in a heap on the ground. Saki howled at the sky in mock grief. "Nooooooooooooo!"

"You two are ridiculous," Miyako muttered. Rini popped up, suddenly grinning again. "Hey, that's why you love us."

"I'm sorry, did I ever say that?"

"Just because you beat me doesn't mean that…"

"Well, I thought you both did a good job," Mochizuki Fumio, the third member of the team, inserted soothingly from his perch in a nearby tree. "Rini, you really didn't vary her attacks very much, though."

"I was going to use that new jutsu," Rini exclaimed. "How is that not variation?"

"You didn't practice it enough," Miyako said coolly. "Your hand signs were too slow."

Rini scowled. "Whatever, Miss Smarty-Pants."

Miyako sighed. "You're a chuunin, Rini. Shouldn't you be at least a little more mature?"

"Go and—"

"Which brings me to my next point," Saki interjected hastily. "Straightface, Neon Boom, you two have been chuunin for six months now. That means that you guys are squad leaders, get to go on more B and C missions, yadda yadda yadda. It also means that I'm going to stop going easy on you."

Fumio frowned. "Setting a horde of rabid squirrels on us was going easy?"

"The noodle incident was easy?" Rini added. "It took me _days_ to get all that stuff out of my hair."

"And then there was the time that you were nearly swallowed by the man-eating petunia and we had to get you out," Miyako said, wincing slightly. "That _definitely_ was not easy."

Saki glared at them. "Okay, that's totally not the point. And Rini, don't bring up the noodle thing. What I'm _trying _to say is that you guys have responsibilities, and what with all the craziness since the exams, I've been neglecting them. So, we're going to try a new exercise. I call it… Find the Missing-Nin Before the Missing-Nin Finds You!"

Her students stared. Saki placed her hands on her hips defensively. "Hey, it has a ring to it! But anyways! I'm going to head into the woods, and you guys are going to find me before I find you! You'll need to mask your chakra and move quietly so that I can't find you and you can take me by surprise. Get it? Got it? Good." She grinned. "You guys can come after me in one minute. If there's a problem, just tell Rini and she can contact me. Good luck!" And with that, she bounded off into the forest. The team stared after her retreating back. Rini shook her head. "You know, she makes me look sane."

"And that's quite an accomplishment," Miyako said dryly. Rini nodded enthusiastically, completely missing the sarcasm in her tone. "It is! So, what's our strategy going to be?"

Fumio considered. "Well, we can obviously contact each other fairly easily through Rini, so maybe we should split up. That way we can cover more ground and find Saki-sensei more easily. Once one of us sees her, they can hold her off for a while until the others get there."

"Sounds great, Fumio," Rini said, grinning. "Why didn't they make you a chuunin, again?"

"Rini!" Miyako scolded. "Haven't you ever heard of tact?"

Fumio smiled and shook his head. "No, it's all right. I'm perfectly happy where I am, anyway."

Rini beamed. "See, Miyako-chan? He's fine! And it's been about a minute, so we should get going."

Miyako closed her eyes in a brief moment of irritation. "Fine. Rini, you take the right. Fumio, center. I'll take the left."

"Okay! See ya soon!" Rini took off. Fumio gave Miyako a wry smile. "Good luck, Miyako."

She nodded. "You too." Without waiting for a reply, she leapt into a tree and headed off into the woods, her mind already going at full speed. Judging by Saki's average speed and the evasive measures she was likely to take, she was probably about a mile or two in by now, so Miyako would have to move quickly in order to catch up. If she made absolutely sure to produce no noise and mask her chakra, she would move more slowly than usual, so assuming she was looking in the right section of the woods, it would take her around four minutes to find Saki. Not too bad.

Something moved in the clearing below her, and Miyako froze. Was it Saki already? But that was highly improbable! Slowly, she looked down and her eyes widened.

_Rini? We have a problem._

Rini's voice entered her mind, sounding fairly annoyed. _What is it? I think I'm gaining on Saki-sensei._

_Trust me, this is more important. You need to contact her and Fumio and get over here now._

_What? Why?_

Miyako bit her lip. _Because there are people in the woods. And if one of them is who I think it is, then we're in trouble._

_What kind of trouble?_

Suddenly, one of the figures below Miyako looked up, directly into her tree. Shivers ran down her spine as her dark blue eyes locked with the figure's red ones. She swallowed, realizing that her suspicions had just been confirmed. _Big trouble._

* * *

**I FINISHED THE SECOND CHAPTER! I AM SO HAPPY! YAY! So… yeah. I think we all know who these people in the woods are, but whatever. Just remember to review, because reading reviews makes me want to write more, which makes me do so, which makes me post more chapters, which makes those lovely people among you who are consistently going to read my story happy. Therefore, through the Law of Syllogism, if you review, then you will be happy. Yeah.**

**"You can hardly tell where the computer models finish and the real dinosaurs begin." - Laura Dern, actor, about the special effects in the movie **_**Jurassic Park**_**.**


	3. Plus 2x

**Oh. My. Gosh. I actually made it to Chapter Three! This is amazing! Not that this is my best chapter ever, but still. Let's see if I can make it to Chapter Four now…**

**Just as a clarification, Kisame and Itachi are wearing their Akatsuki hats and cloaks throughout the entire chapter, so their faces aren't visible.**

**Thanks to operaluva823 for being THE ONLY ONE TO REVIEW. Come on, guys. I'd like some more reviewers aside from my little sister. Just click that pretty little button at the bottom of the page and tell me how you felt. Please?**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs. I wish there was more, but c'est la vie.**

* * *

_"I just know there's no escape now_

_Once it's set its eyes on you_

_But I won't run, have to stare it in the eye"_

_"Stand my Ground" by Within Temptation_

* * *

Itachi had not wanted to go back to Konoha. He had spent the last five years avoiding the village and anything associated with it, and he knew what would be waiting for him there. Only four other people had known the truth of that night, and one was dead now, leaving behind the three who had had the least sympathy for the situation they had put him in. All other residents of Konoha knew only to kill him on sight. Like the girl in the tree, for example.

She was obviously a shinobi, judging from the forehead protector that held back her tightly braided black hair. She wore the vest of a chuunin and her other clothing was dark and conservative, her only jewelry being a dark blue pendant that hung from her neck. Her features told her age to be about fourteen, but even when crouched in a tree, she carried herself as if she was far older. She was striking in a dark sort of way, but there was nothing appealing in the cold blue eyes that looked like they would freeze him to the bone if possible. Her muscles were tense, as if deciding whether to run or to stay and fight. Of course, even if she ran, Itachi and Kisame would be able to catch up to her quickly, and she would be in an even worse position. As if sensing his thoughts, she dropped to the forest floor with a soft thud and straightened up, shaking back a loose strand of hair. It seemed that she wasn't going to run. Smart girl. And there was something familiar about her…

She glared at the two Akatsuki members with a surprising amount of heat. "Want to tell me what two missing-nin like you are doing so close to Konoha?"

Kisame grinned from under his hat, obviously anticipating a good battle of wits. "Now, that's not very nice, is it? How do you know that we're missing-nin?"

The girl sighed. "Don't talk to me like I'm stupid. You're highly armed, so you're obviously not civilians. You have no visible allegiances, so you probably aren't shinobi affiliated with any village. Even Sound ninja display their headbands openly. You're also wearing identical hats and cloaks emblazoned with a highly distinctive symbol. It isn't associated with any clans or villages that I know of, and I know all of them. And then there's you." She turned to Itachi, contempt plain on her face. "Only two living people have eyes like yours… Uchiha."

Kisame glanced at Itachi. "Well, what do you think of that? This little girl knows who you are."

"It would appear so," Itachi said shortly, hoping that he and Kisame would be able to get away soon. He wasn't really in the mood for killing anyone, and if his partner kept pressing the matter, he would probably have to get rid of the girl, if only to shut his partner up. He returned his attention to the kunoichi. "And what about you? You know who I am and what I did. Do you truly think you can defeat me?"

"I'm under no such delusions," the girl retorted. "All the same, I'm not going to let you just waltz into Konoha and do whatever it is that you're planning. I might as well make you bleed a little bit first." However, she made no move to draw a weapon. She was waiting for something, Itachi realized. A teammate or higher-ranking shinobi, most likely. She may very well have contacted someone before he saw her. All the more reason to get out as quickly as possible.

Apparently Kisame hadn't realized this, and was continuing to bait the kunoichi. "So, you know Itachi, little girl," he grinned. "What about me?"

"I haven't the slightest idea," the girl said coolly. "Aside from the fact that you come from the Kirigakure, judging from that sword you're carrying."

"Well, well, well! You are smart, aren't you?" The shark-nin adjusted the giant blade on his back. "The name is Hoshigaki Kisame. And you are?"

The girl raised her head high, an icy light in her eyes. "Akamine Miyako."

Ah. So_ that_ was why she seemed familiar. "You grew up nearby the Uchiha compound, didn't you?" Itachi asked quietly. The girl- Miyako- stiffened. She probably hadn't expected him to remember that.

"I did."

"And your sister, the one with green hair, she used to train with my brother, didn't she?"

Miyako's lips tightened. "She did."

"She visited him a lot, didn't she?"

"Yes."

"And you came with her?"

"Sometimes."

Both of them knew where he was leading, but Itachi pressed on. "You two were the ones who discovered everything afterwards… weren't you?"

The kunoichi's voice was barely above a whisper, but there was loathing in her eyes. "We were."

Kisame grinned again. "Well, that certainly explains a lot, doesn't it? No wonder she's so stiff!" He fingered the hilt of his sword. "So, what do you say? Should I kill her?"

"That won't be necessary," Itachi said flatly. "We need to complete our mission as quickly as possible. Killing her will take too much time, and might be too visible. Most people tend to fight back."

The shark-nin shrugged, although he looked rather disappointed. "Fine. Do whatever you need to do."

Miyako stared at the Uchiha fiercely, but with a slight look of uncertainty. "If you don't kill me, I can guarantee you'll live to regret it."

Itachi inclined his head. "No more than I regret anything else that I've done."

"And what have you done that you ever regretted?" The kunoichi glared as they locked eyes. They stared at each other for a tense moment, Itachi's face emotionless, Miyako's intense. Suddenly her eyes widened slightly and she collapsed to the ground. The Uchiha looked down at her prone body coolly, then turned to his partner. "Let's go."

Kisame's shark-like face twisted into a smile. "All right. Time to catch a nine-tailed fox."

"Hn." The two Akatsuki members strode away from the fallen kunoichi, looking ahead to Konoha. However, Itachi's mind remained back with the girl.

"_And what have you done that you ever regretted?"_

She had no idea, of course. But still, Itachi couldn't help but think.

_If only you knew._

* * *

**So, yeah. That's Chapter Three. And if you enjoyed it, what do you do? Review, of course! Virtual cookies to anyone who does! I mean… not the bad cookies. The good ones, with chocolate chips and… oh, you know what I mean.**

**"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life."  
- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for a federal anti-smoking campaign**


	4. Minus y

****

Wow. I seriously think this is some kind of record for me. I've actually gotten to Chapter 4! Although I just looked at Chapter 3 again, and I was like, wow. I can't believe how much this sucks. I think most of my talent flew away after freshman year English. Yeesh.

**Once again, thanks to operaluva823. Please review.**

**I do not own Naruto. Duh.**

* * *

_They're gonna find you, just believe_  
_You're not a person; you're a disease…_  
_The world outside these walls may know you're breathing_  
_But you ain't comin' in_

_"All These Lives" by Chris Daughtry_

"…vitals seem to be fine…"

"…don't know why…"

"…some kind of genjutsu…"

"Shh! She's awake!"

Miyako's eyes fluttered open, only to snap shut as she prayed that what she was seeing wasn't right. Slowly, she opened one eye only to see Rini grinning down at her, her hair as bright as ever. Ugh. It looked like her first glance had been correct.

"Good morning, sunshine!" her sister sang out. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone dropped a lead weight on me again," Miyako said, sitting up and touching her head gingerly. All things considered, it wasn't too bad a headache, actually.

Rini scowled. "Jeez, you're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Probably not."

"So you're all right?" Fumio asked anxiously. "We were all really worried when we found you just lying there."

"I'm fine—"

"Honestly, Birdie Boy, let her breathe," Saki exclaimed, pushing her way past the pale boy. She looked down at Miyako, her eyes wide. "What happened? Who was it that you ran into? Did you fight them?"

Miyako raised an eyebrow. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a hypocrite?"

Her teacher shrugged. "Once or twice. Now, what happened?"

"If you get me the paperwork for it, I can write a formal report."

"A formal—God!" Saki hit her hand against her forehead. "You're in the hospital! You've been unconscious for four hours! And you're _volunteering_ to write a formal report? What kind of freak are you?"

Miyako shrugged. "An organized one, I suppose."

"Yeah, no kidding," Saki muttered. "Okay, sure, I'll get you the paperwork. Will you at least tell me who it was that knocked you out?"

"Yeah, was it Uchiha Itachi?" Rini demanded.

Silence. Saki looked over at the green-haired girl. "What the heck?"

Rini shrugged. "I… overheard an ANBU member thinking about it. See, apparently Hatake Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai, and Might Guy went up against him and some other wacko today, but they lost, so then, apparently, they attacked Uzumaki Naruto, you know, that weird kid in the orange jumpsuit? Which seems kind of random if you ask me, but then Uchiha Sasuke showed up and got his butt kicked, and then Jiraiya showed up and nearly got the bad guys, but they escaped, and so now Kakashi-san and Sasuke-kun are in the hospital, and I don't think it's a coincidence that Miyako-chan is too." She said this all in one breath. Saki blinked.

"Um. Wow. And remind me to talk to you about your chronic eavesdropping."

"But Uchiha Itachi?" Fumio exclaimed. "He hasn't shown his face here for… what was it, three years?"

"Four," Miyako said quietly. She looked down. "And actually, it was. Him and some other shinobi. I didn't recognize him, but he identified himself as Hoshigaki Kisame."

Her teacher's eyes widened. "Hoshigaki Kisame? Seriously?" Miyako nodded. Saki sank down onto the bed, holding her head in her hands. "Oh boy, this is not good. Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame are working together?"

"Wait, who's Hoshigaki Kisame?" Rini asked, frowning.

"Only one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist," Saki muttered. "He went rogue a while ago after attempting to kill the Kazekage. No one knows much about him, but what they do know is that he's got a crazy amount of chakra, a big sword, and blue skin and gills."

Rini snorted. "Gills? Seriously?"

"It's no laughing matter!" Saki snapped. Rini flinched, clearly surprised by the normally-blithe teacher's sudden intensity. "If Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame have teamed up, it's not because they want to plant flowers and bake cupcakes for homeless people. They've got to be up to something bigger."

Miyako nodded thoughtfully. "I agree. Actually, they were wearing the same cloaks. It looked like they belonged to some sort of organization."

"Organization, huh?" Saki's face twisted in thought. "Can't say I like that idea, but I'll look into it. What did these cloaks look like?"

Miyako closed her eyes for a moment, remembering. "They were black, with red clouds and a high collar."

"Gotcha." Saki stood. "Okay, well, I should go. I'm going to talk to the others who saw these two, try and get some more information. Straightface, please try not to take on any S-rank criminals while I'm gone."

"I'm in the _hospital_," Miyako stressed. "There aren't going to be any S-rank criminals here anyways."

Saki scowled. "God, you just have no sense of humor, do you? See, this is why I like Neon Boom more."

"_Sensei_…"

"Okay, okay!" Saki held up her hands in mock defeat. "See ya later!" With that, she skipped out the door. Miyako compressed her lips.

Fumio stood. "I should go too. Get better soon, Miyako-chan." He hurried out, leaving Miyako with only Rini. Her sister bit her lip concernedly.

"You are okay, right?"

Miyako sighed impatiently. "Of course I'm fine. I got knocked out, that's it. There wasn't even any physical contact."

A corner of Rini's mouth quirked up in a slight smile. "Yeah…" Glancing around, she leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Hey…was it… weird? Seeing him again?"

Miyako raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, Miyako," Rini said, looking at her seriously. "You idolized him then. We both did. I mean, come on, he was that crazy prodigy and everything, right? So—"

"Uchiha Itachi is a criminal," Miyako said coldly. "He killed his entire clan for no reason. Whoever he used to be is gone now. Our old views no longer apply."

"Yeah." Rini looked down at her hands. "It's just… it can be hard to let them go sometimes, you know? Like I keep looking at Sasuke and expecting him to be that happy little kid again, and… he isn't. Not even close."

"That's not the only reason you look at him," Miyako said dryly. Her sister made a face at her.

"I'm allowed to like guys, Miyako-chan. You are too. You might try it sometime."

"That's an unnecessary distraction."

Rini smiled slightly. "There's more to life than being a shinobi, Miyako-chan."

Miyako looked at her twin. "And when did you become so wise?"

Rini's face took on the playful, grinning look Miyako knew so well. "Since I figured out that it was insanely stupid to take on two S-rank criminals by myself, that's when." Miyako scowled and reached out to smack her sister, who skipped back merrily. "I don't think so! See you later. Miyako-chan. Have fun in the hospital!" She danced out of the room, leaving Miyako in her bed.

* * *

**Phew. I think that was much better than Chapter Three. Now, let's hope it gets even better!**

* * *

**Every day, more money is printed for Monopoly than for the US Treasury.**


	5. Plus z

**Yay! Chapter Five! This chapter is kind of weird, but I've realized that writing for Itachi is really hard and it's difficult to think of scenarios where I can develop the plot further. So the beginning of this chapter feels kind of strained to me, but I think it gets better further on. **

**Thanks to operaluva823 for being the only one who loves me enough to review. Well, she had better love me. And I'm still totally grateful, florahelialover. But honestly. Review. Or else. Please?**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I would not need to write fanfiction about it. I would think that would be obvious.**

* * *

_"So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed_

_Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?_

_So many years have passed, who are the noble and the wise?_

_Will all our sins be justified?"_

_"Hand of Sorrow" by Within Temptation_

* * *

"Well, that could have gone better," Kisame grumbled. "All that trouble and we didn't even catch the nine-tails."

"Hn."

"Swallowed by a toad," the shark-nin groused. "Found and challenged by just about every passing shinobi. And even with that we hardly got a good fight in. Not to mention all those … reminders you kept getting."

"Hn."

Kisame glanced at Itachi, now grinning slightly. "Interesting, isn't it? You go four years without thinking about it, and suddenly you run into the sole survivor and the girl who discovered your little rampage."

"One of the girls," Itachi corrected evenly.

"Right. One of the girls." There was a blissful moment of silence, and then Kisame started talking again. "You know, it sounded like you two knew each other."

"It was a long time ago."

"Uh huh. Was she always that uptight?"

Itachi considered for a moment. "Actually, I believe she's gotten worse."

"Figures." Another pause. "She's got a sister too?"

"Two, as I recall." Itachi sighed and looked over at his partner. "Is this at all relevant?"

The shark-nin chuckled. "Nope. It's just the most interesting bit of information that I've found out all day. I mean, I already knew about your brother, but I never knew that it was two little girls who discovered the massacre. It's kind of funny, actually. I can just _see _the looks on their faces when they found everyone just lying there."

"Hn."

Kisame smirked. "What, don't feel like talking about it?"

"Kisame. Enough." Only two words, but they were enough for Itachi's partner to look uncomfortable.

"Too much? Sorry."

"Hn."

* * *

The next few minutes were mercifully quiet, much to Itachi's relief. He secretly cherished these few moments of silence because of their rarity and because of the clarity of thought that they allowed him. He was currently taking the opportunity to mull over the confrontations that had occurred that day. It somehow wasn't surprising that Sasuke had shown up, but what had stunned him was how much older his brother was. Of course, it had been four years and at that age people could change drastically in only one, but it had still been a shock. The little boy with the eager, wondering look in his eyes had been replaced with this cold, hate-filled teenager. And the worst part was that Itachi was responsible.

_Would you rather have him dead?_ That inner voice whispered at him. _At least you left him alive. _

Was he really?

_Of course he is. What are you talking about?_ The voice sounded irritated. _He's breathing, isn't he?_

But that spark inside of him… the one that had challenged him to become great… was that really still intact? Had it died with the rest of the clan?

_You're thinking nonsense. _

Sasuke had had the potential to be the greatest of the Uchiha. Greater than their father, who put the clan above everything else, even the lives of others. Greater than the members of the police force, who followed orders without question, certain that Uchiha deserved whatever it wanted. Certainly greater than his brother, torn between loyalty to Uchiha and loyalty to the village. And now he was being consumed by hatred and the desire for revenge.

_Those were your instructions, remember? You told him to hate you and kill you eventually. You don't really have a leg to stand on here._

Be quiet.

_That's hardly going to work, now is it? _The voice asked, amused._ After all, this is all in your head._

Then he should be able to control his own body.

_You would think so, wouldn't you? _The mocking tone had vanished, replaced with something more wistful. _No shinobi can control that, though. Not entirely. Yes, you can train until you can barely move in the morning, but that only helps the muscles. You can solve riddles and outsmart rivals until you never want to see a written word or fight a battle again, but that only affects the mind. All the other parts… the eyes and the organs… those can only be ruined. There's no way to make them better once they've started to die. _The voice seemed to sigh. _That's partly why you want him to kill you, isn't it? You don't want to lose to yourself._

Itachi could find no answer. The voice laughed bitterly. _Of course, you're having a conversation with yourself. Sounds like you've already lost._

No… he hadn't lost. Not yet.

_Is that so? _Another laugh, this time derisive._ Let's see. You're a member of a criminal organization out to take over the world, you have two or three years left to live assuming your brother doesn't kill you first, you're slowly going blind, and in the short time you have left, you will have done nothing worthwhile. I'd say you've lost. _

Enough!

The voice snorted. _Fine. I'll leave you alone for now. Just remember._ The voice grew softer, but a hard edge was still present. _Y__ou chose all this. You listened to me and didn't kill your brother, but everything else was your doing. I'm separate from you. Call me your conscience; call yourself crazy, I don't care. Just remember that I'm not you. And I'm no one you know, not really. I'm… hm. Let's say that I'm an _idea _of someone._

What? Who?

_I'm not talking to you, remember?_ The voice laughed softly. _Goodbye, Uchiha Itachi._

* * *

**So… yeah. I feel like that was kind of weird, but at the same time, I like it. Hopefully you did too. And please review! Rhymes not intentional.**

**The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.**


	6. Squared

**Hooray for Chapter Six, and thanks to those two awesome people who added this story to their favorites! I'm so grateful! Reviews would make me even happier though! So review! And sorry for the long wait! And I need to stop using so many exclamation points! Aah! Enjoy the chapter!**

**By the way, Yumi is eight.**

**Disclaimer: Yes, everyone. I totally own Naruto. And that's why Itachi died. Does anyone out there really need to be assured that I don't own anything?**

* * *

_We are family_

_I got all my sisters with me_

_We are family_

_Get up everybody, sing_

_"We Are Family" by Sister Sledge _

* * *

Words could not express how glad Miyako was to get out of the hospital. Although nothing had seemed to be wrong with her, the doctor had insisted she stay overnight for examination and nothing she could say would persuade him otherwise. After a long sleepless night in a drafty room, she had been examined again and declared entirely healthy. At that point she had felt the urge to point out that she had said as much the night before, but thankfully was able to restrain herself. Now, as she pushed open the door to her home, she found herself wondering what exactly had caused her to faint. Obviously, it was some kind of genjutsu, but was it the Sharingan? So far as she knew, that wasn't one of the particular gifts with which its users were bestowed, but her knowledge of the Sharingan was minimal at best. She made a mental note to study up on ocular jutsu as soon as possible. There were probably some good resources in the archives…

"You're back!"

Miyako's train of thought was cut off as Rini barreled into her and gave her one of the largest, most rib-crushing hugs she had ever experienced. "You're okay! You're back! You're okay! You have dark circles under your eyes! Your hair is messy! You're okay!"

"She also can't breathe," a blonde woman said dryly, entering the room. "You might want to let go."

"Oops, sorry Mom!" Rini exclaimed, releasing her death-grip and freeing Miyako to bend over, gasping for air. Once she was satisfied that her lungs were in working order, she straightened up and glared at her sister.

"Of course I'm all right. You saw me yesterday!"

Her sister put her hands on her hips. "Well, excuse me for worrying! For all you know, Itachi could have, like, used some time-release poisoning jutsu on you! You never know!"

"Poisoning doesn't really seem like it would be his style," Miyako muttered.

"Well, whatever! He could have done _something_!"

"Are you done yet?" Their mother interrupted. "Because I'd like to talk to my daughter too, you know."

Rini pouted. "Fine, Mom. Screw up my lecture."

Their mother shook her head warmly. "Oh, Rini-chan. You did that on your own." Ignoring Rini's sputtering, she turned to Miyako and raised an eyebrow. "So, what's this about taking on two S-rank criminals without any backup?"

Miyako sighed, tired of explaining. "I didn't _take them on_. I was merely attempting to delay them until Saki-sensei and the rest of the team arrived. Unfortunately, I was knocked out before anyone got there. And it wasn't exactly a choice. Uchiha had already seen me and I calculated the chances of escaping. They were close to zero, so I stayed. I thought I might have been able to gain some information."

Her mother nodded, disapproval showing on her face. "And did you?"

Slowly, Miyako shook her head, realizing how angry her mother truly was. Her mother sighed. "See, this is why I worry about you two. You're fourteen years old and fighting S-rank criminals!"

"I didn't actually fight him—"

"You might as well have!" her mother countered, her voice rising. "As Uchiha Itachi demonstrated, it would be all too simple for him to kill you! If it was that easy for him to knock you out, imagine what would happen if he really wanted to do damage! Better yet, look at what damage he did do! An experienced jonin left practically catatonic, one of the Three Legendary Sannin forced to resort to an inescapable trap that failed for the first time… do you realize how lucky you are to only get knocked out? He's demonstrated far too many times exactly what he's capable of, and—"

"You don't have to remind me of what he's capable of," Miyako said tightly. "Rini and I found the bodies, remember?"

Her mother stopped. "I…" She exhaled and slumped forward, rubbing her forehead tiredly. "Yes, I remember. And I'm sorry. It's just… when I heard that you came face-to-face with Uchiha Itachi… my heart stopped. I was so certain he had killed you or tortured you… you can't even imagine how worried I was…" She closed her eyes, obviously overcome. Feeling suddenly guilty, Miyako moved forward to embrace her mother.

"I'm sorry, Mom," she murmured. "But you knew that I would be put into situations like that. You let me enter the academy because you knew it was what I wanted, remember?" Her mother's only response was a deep, tired sigh. Miyako hugged her tighter. "I'm sorry," she repeated softly. "I can't say it won't happen again, but… I'll be more careful. I will promise that."

Her mother pulled away from her. "You had better," she whispered hoarsely. "If you get yourself killed, I don't think I'll be able to forgive you."

Miyako nodded, pressing her lips together somberly. "I understand."

Her mother raised an eyebrow. "I was halfway joking there, actually."

"Oh."

"Mom?" Miyako and her mother turned to see a small girl standing in the doorway. "Why are you mad at Miyako-chan?"

Miyako's mother attempted a smile and shook her head. "I'm not mad, Yumi. Just irritated."

"You shouldn't lie, Mom," Yumi huffed. "Yeah, you're irritated, but you're also mad, and frustrated, and scared, and—"

"Point taken," her mother interrupted. "And try not to use the empathy jutsu outside of training, all right?"

"Fine," Yumi sighed. She tilted her head to the side curiously. "But… why are you mad at her?"

"Because your sister is an idiot." Rini, who had been standing awkwardly behind her sister the whole time, snorted out a laugh.

The little girl nodded understandingly. "Oh. All right." She started to leave, then stopped and turned back. "Miyako-chan, Rini-chan… you'll help me with my homework, right?"

"Sure!" Rini exclaimed. "Whenever you need it!"

She glanced over at Miyako, who nodded. "Of course."

Yumi smiled and left the room. Watching her go, Miyako was struck by the difference between each of her sisters, both in looks and temperament. Hyper, flirty Rini with her bright green hair and serious, dark-haired Miyako represented to the opposite ends of every spectrum, with even-tempered, blonde Yumi being the balance between them. Interestingly enough, the same could be said about her ninja squad, with Fumio taking Yumi's place. Saki had stated several times that it was probably only Fumio's intervention that consistently kept Miyako and Rini from killing each other, and that seemed to be Yumi's job as well. She was the equalizer, the one responsible for maintaining order.

The equalizer. Oddly enough it seemed that in their brief encounter, Uchiha Itachi had assumed that role. While Hoshigaki Kisame had seemed to only be looking for an opportunity to fight someone, and she had been trying to slow them up through any means possible, he had just been _there_, preventing either of them from making a move. He was the younger and quieter of the two missing-nin, but there had been such authority in his voice that it wasn't surprising that Hoshigaki had obeyed him. He had always been that way, even as a child. At the time, she had been shocked that he was able to speak to anyone with so much certainty that he would be obeyed, but now, looking back, she supposed it made sense. Considering the fact that he made ANBU when most of his age-mates were barely even genin, he would have to be assertive. No one would listen to him otherwise. Of course, being assertive didn't necessarily ensure that one's orders would be obeyed…

"Miyako-chan? You awake?" Rini waved her hand in front of Miyako's eyes, who silently cursed her sister for having the amazing ability to cut off her reflections just as she had started to delve more deeply into her original subject. She sighed.

"Yes, Rini, I'm awake. What do you want?"

"Um, after we left the hospital, Saki-sensei told me to tell you that we're meeting today."

Miyako raised an eyebrow. "I see. And why didn't she mention this _before _she left?"

Rini tilted her head to the side. "You know… I have no idea."

"Ugh…" Miyako scowled and grabbed her shuriken holster. "Fine. Let's go."

* * *

"Hey there, people!" Saki exclaimed. "Glad to see we're all in one piece and no one's died between last night and now. Cough cough, Miyako." Miyako gave her a Look, to which Saki grinned. "Anyways, I've decided that it's time we try something new in regards to training. Obviously, we're not all interested in the same things, so I've decided that you can all tell me what you're most interested in learning, and I'll either teach you or find someone to teach you!" She grinned. "Sound like fun?"

"Actually, I think that's probably the best idea you've had since we were assigned to you," Miyako muttered.

Saki smiled sweetly. "I wouldn't speak so soon, Straightface. You still might get stuck with me, after all."

"Perish the thought."

Their teacher raised an eyebrow. "Hey, that sounded sarcastic. Is it possible that you're growing a sense of humor?"

"No."

"Oh well. Worth a shot." Saki shrugged. "So, do you know what you want to study?"

Miyako considered for a moment. "Katana."

"No way!" Rini protested. "That's what I wanted to learn!"

"She never said that we couldn't learn the same thing," Miyako pointed out. She turned to Saki. "And I think our father can teach us that."

Saki nodded. "Okay then. Katana for the Terrible Twins. Fumio?"

The boy looked thoughtful. "Well, I've been interested in medicine for a while…"

"Excellent. It just so happens that I know medical jutsu."

Miyako frowned. "Since when?"

Their teacher shrugged. "Hey, no one ever said that I had to tell you all my tricks."

"No, but it would have been nice to know on some of our missions. Like the one where Rini nearly lost an arm."

Saki winced. "Heh. Good point. Sorry about that, Neon Boom."

"No worries!" Rini said brightly. Saki nodded gratefully.

"Yeah. Thanks." She clapped her hands together. "Anyways! I'm expecting great things from this arrangement, people! Do not disappoint me! And we will still be meeting every Thursday! Don't forget! Or I will hurt you! And you don't want to know the plans I've made just in case!"

Rini gasped. "Oh my gosh! You have poisonous snakes in your apartment?"

"_Stop reading my mind, dammit_!"

* * *

**Remember to review!**

**"I've read about foreign policy and studied, I now know the number of continents." - George Wallace 1968 presidential campaign. Don't you just love politicians?**


	7. Minus 4

**Thanks to everyone who added this to Story Alert or Favorite Story! I really appreciate it, but please review! It'll make me even happier! Let's see… I'm adding a couple little surprises in here, so enjoy. Review, please!**

And I still don't own Naruto. And I don't own any bands either.

* * *

"_All of my memories keep you near_

_In silent moments, imagine you'd be here_

_All of my memories keep you near_

_Your silent whispers, silent tears"_

_Memories by Within Temptation _

* * *

Itachi was standing outside his house. He wasn't entirely sure how he had gotten there, but somehow that didn't matter. He didn't need an explanation to know that he had missed this little house desperately. Slowly, as if possessed, he walked up to the door and slid it open. There was the quiet creak he remembered so well. No matter what he did, his father had never been able to fix it. Itachi smiled a little at the memory, but the smile soon slid off his face. His father was dead. He was dead, and Itachi had killed him.

He stepped inside the house, marveling at how little it had changed. There was the kitchen table where the family had eaten every meal, there was his mother's favorite spot to sit and listen to the birds outside, there was the scratch on the floor where he had slipped and fallen while holding a kunai. He hadn't even started at the academy yet, but he had wanted to see what he could do and forgotten that the floor was still slippery after being cleaned earlier that day. He had scratched the floor and his leg, and his mother had bandaged it, smiling and laughing at his foolishness. At the time he hadn't realized it, but it would be one of his last truly childlike memories. After that, the teachers at the academy had realized his capabilities, and the next years were marked by advanced training, dangerous missions, and nothing else.

He moved into the next room and stopped dead, his memories suddenly overpowering. This was the room where his parents had died, where he had made the mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his life. And there was someone standing exactly where he had stood that night four years ago. As Itachi stared at the dark silhouette, the figure lifted up its head to reveal Sasuke's hate-filled face. "You killed them all," he hissed. "You destroyed everything." Crackling blue lightning grew in the boy's hand, illuminating the vicious look in his eye. "I'll kill you!" he screamed, and charged forward. Itachi's feet and arms felt as heavy as lead; there was no way he'd be able to dodge his brother's attack. He watched his brother come closer and closer, the lightning chirping louder and louder. The noise was almost unbearable in its proximity, the Chidori about to smash into his body, when Sasuke's face began to shift. As Itachi stared, his brother's features grew sharper, his hair longer, his body curvier, until Miyako stood in Sasuke's place, her eyes icy.

"Pathetic," she whispered. "And weren't you supposed to be a prodigy?" Her eyes locked on his, something almost challenging in them. After a moment of silence, she lifted her hand and lightly pressed her fingertips to his forehead in an odd gesture. "Now wake up."

Itachi's eyes flew open to find himself lying on the floor of the forest outside Konoha. He sat up slowly and took a deep breath, still shaken from the dream. Hearing the sound, Kisame looked up from his watch post and glanced at Itachi, one eyebrow raised. The Uchiha shook his head, indicating that nothing was wrong, and the shark ninja shrugged and turned back to the fire. Itachi pushed his hair back from his face in exhaustion. Even when he slept he got no rest.

_Bad dreams?_

The voice sounded rather amused, and Itachi's eyes narrowed. What exactly was so funny?

_Oh, you know, just the irony of the whole thing. It made me laugh._

And by irony he supposed it meant Sasuke switching places with him?

_Of course. It was wonderfully evil on your brain's part. _There was a short pause. _I have to admit though; I don't understand why he turned into that girl. And why did she do that thing with her hand?_

Itachi sighed. He had no idea. Considering the fact that he had barely even spoken to Miyako before he left Konoha, the fact that she was appearing in his dream was… odd, to say the least.

_Hn. I see what you mean._

Something occurred to Itachi. How much did the voice have access to?

_And by access you mean…?_

Well, could it read his mind? See his memories? Or was it just… there?

The voice snickered. _Paranoid, are you?_

It was a reasonable question. If the voice was going to be in his head, he wanted to know how much it knew.

The voice sighed. _Well, if you care so much. I can read your thoughts, but as for memories? I only know about the ones that you think of. Like if you dropped a bowl of soup when you were ten but were so traumatized that you completely blocked it out, I don't know about it. However, I do know just about every single little detail of the times that you've killed. You kind of obsess over that. _There was a short pause, followed by a small snicker. _And I also know that you never even got to second base with your girlfriend._

Itachi's eyes widened. It normally took a lot to shake him, but hearing that an unknown voice in his head knew everything he had done with his ex-girlfriend was certainly capable of doing that. Had it even just said what he thought it said?

_Hell yeah, I said what you thought I said. You never got to second base with… Hideyo, right? That was her name._

…

_You know, that's kind of remarkable, even for a thirteen year-old. I mean, loads of kids that age are already screwing their girlfriends, but you? You took the honorable route. Held out. Were you planning on waiting to do the really dirty stuff until after marriage?_

…

_Of course, even if you wanted to marry her one day, that's never going to happen now. I mean, you did kill her._

Shut. Up.

The venom in Itachi's voice seemed to surprise the voice. _Wow, that's more emotion in one sentence than I've heard from you in years! I really hit a nerve, huh?_

Itachi had to take a deep breath before he trusted himself to respond calmly. What did the voice expect? He had kissed her.

_Yeah, true. Doesn't always mean anything, though. Honestly, I can't even remember the names of all the girls I kissed. And what does that tell you?_

The answer dawned on him. It… it were alive once, wasn't it?

_Hn. I guess you could say that. I mean, it's not like you swallowed my consciousness or anything, but yeah, before I was an irritating little voice in your head, I was a human being. Amazing, isn't it?_

If the voice had been human once… had Itachi known it?

_Hey, that's all the hints I'm giving you. If you want to know who I am, figure it out. You're supposed to be some kind of super genius, aren't you?_

Why was everyone questioning his intelligence tonight?

_Huh?_

Never mind. He was going back to sleep before his watch started.

_Sweet dreams._

* * *

**Jeez, I feel like it's been a long time! It probably hasn't been as long as I thought, but still. Wow. So I had my last day of band camp today, and I am tired! We got a lot done though, so that's good. And I'm rambling, so I should probably stop now. Oh, and by the way, if you guys see any mistakes in canon here, let me know! I really want to make sure this story is as accurate as possible. Well, except for the end. Because I might change it. I don't know yet. And I really need to stop typing. So review! Tell me what you think!**

**No two pairs of irises are exactly the same. They're like fingerprints.**


	8. Minus 1

**Welcome, my friends, to the Neverending Chapter! Well, that's what it felt like, anyways. When I was writing it, I swear this thing **_**did not want to end**_**! It was ridiculous. So please don't get bored.**

**Thanks to my one reviewer (*coughoperaluva823cough*) and the one person who added this story to Story Alert (sorry, but I don't remember your name). You know, I've had nearly a hundred hits for this story, but still only one review per chapter? Come on, people. We've got a review rate of 1.1% here! This must change! I still love you all, though.**

**If I owned Naruto, do you really think everyone would keep dying? Honestly, it would be more like Candide. (For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Youtube is a marvelous thing. Look for the song "You Were Dead, You Know." And I firmly believe that Cudegonde is the original Mary Sue.)**

* * *

"_Times change very quickly  
And you had  
To grow up early  
A house in smoking ruins  
And the bodies  
At your feet"_

_Flash of the Blade by Iron Maiden_

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Rini asked anxiously. "I mean, Dad really doesn't like to be disturbed…"

"It'll be fine," Miyako reassured her sister. "It's training-related. He'll be more than willing to help us."

"Yeah, well," Rini muttered. "We both know training's all he cares about."

"That's not true," Miyako protested.

"Oh yeah? Name one time he placed us above his work."

Miyako opened her mouth to speak, reconsidered, and closed it again. She wanted to explain that Akamine Tadashi's absolute dedication to his work was the thing that inspired her respect for him, that she based her life after his example, but she doubted her sister would see things the same way. Rini nodded. "Yep. And you know what? You're almost exactly like him. You totally remind him of himself, and I think he likes having a daughter-slash-clone." Her eyes widened. "Hey, what if you _are _his clone? A female clone so people don't get suspicious? And he's using you to figure out his weaknesses so he can fix them and take over the village! And oh my gosh! What if I'm Mom's clone? It's all a conspiracy!"

"All right, that's just ridiculously unrealistic."

Rini sniffed. "I only speak the truth. And a few theories."

"Mmhm." Miyako turned towards the door of the study. "Let's do this."

"Yeah, let's get it over with." Miyako ignored her sister and knocked firmly on the door. After a short pause, a voice responded, "You may enter."

Rini glanced over at her twin, who merely shrugged and opened the door. The two headed into the small room and approached their father, who sat writing at a desk. He looked up as they came closer, and the girls bowed. "Well, this is unusual. You two normally do not come in here."

Miyako nodded. She and Rini had agreed beforehand that she would do the talking, as it was true that she and Tadashi were alike. She knew exactly what to say to get him to agree to teach them. At least, she hoped she did. "I apologize for the intrusion, Father, but we'd like to ask you for a favor. Saki-sensei wanted us to branch out in our training, so we'd like to request that you teach us to use katana." Her heart was racing for some reason. How foolish, it was her father, not the Hokage. To calm herself, she concentrated on planning her next words. She had to impress on him the importance of this training without seeming desperate. Let's see, next he would probably question the validity of her request…

Tadashi nodded slowly. "Saki-sensei suggested this?"

Excellent, just as she had predicted. "In a matter of speaking, yes. She said that we should try to learn something new, and we both wanted katana. Fumio will be learning medical jutsu," she added. She had learned by now that her father always liked to have extra information, and letting him know what the last member of her squad would be doing certainly couldn't hurt. She just hoped he wouldn't ask why both she and Rini had actually felt the same way about something.

"So why do both of you wish to learn the same thing?"

Damn. How was she supposed to explain that? Rini was the mind reader, not her. She had to stall while she figured out what to say. "I don't know. I suppose it just struck a chord in both of us."

"Unusual. You two normally have entirely different interests."

"I'll say," Rini muttered. Miyako shot her a quick glance.

"That may be, but we are both dedicated to serving the village as best we can. We are also twins, although that is not always obvious. Perhaps our thoughts chose this occasion to sync up. It is truly impossible to say." She exhaled inwardly. That was likely the best explanation she was likely to come up with. Now if only their father would accept it…

"Hmm." Tadashi glanced back down at his papers thoughtfully. Miyako instinctively held her breath. He was taking an awfully long time to answer. Was something wrong? What if he was going to have a mission that would interfere with their training? And now she was panicking. Why was she panicking? There was no value to it whatsoever. Wasn't this what she had been working to stamp out? What kind of shinobi was she if she kept panicking? Her father would never approve of this!

Her father. He was nodding now. What had happened? This was exactly what happened when she panicked; she missed important events! Desperately, Miyako regained control of her thoughts soon enough to hear him say, "I will teach you. We will go to the blacksmith tomorrow to get your swords, and training will begin immediately afterwards."

Miyako felt a flush of relief as Rini grinned beside her. "Thank you, Father."

Tadashi shook his head. "Do not thank me yet. Training has not even started. We will see your aptitudes tomorrow. Until then…" His eyes narrowed. "Rini, you may go. Miyako, I wish to speak with you further."

Rini shot Miyako a worried glance. _Uh oh._ _You going to be okay?_

_Yes, Rini, I'll be fine. Go train. I'll catch up later._

_Okay…_ Rini bowed again to their father. "Bye, Dad. See you."

Their father nodded. "Goodbye, Rini." Miyako's sister grinned and left, shutting the door behind her. After a quick glance to make sure she wasn't listening behind the door, Tadashi sighed and leaned forward. "Now, I am sure that your mother has already said a few choice words with you about what she thinks of your choice to confront Uchiha Itachi, so I will spare you the lecture. However, I would like to know what you have learned from your encounter with him. Is there any useful information you were able to pick up? What kind of jutsu does he use? What about the man with whom he traveled? What did you yourself learn? Tell me everything."

Miyako blinked. "What?"

"You heard me."

"Er… all right." Miyako closed her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts. Upon opening them, she began to speak. "Uchiha Itachi traveled with an individual who identified himself as Hoshigaki Kisame, a former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. They both wore straw hats and black cloaks patterned with red clouds, suggesting that they belong to an enemy organization. This organization must be fairly powerful if two criminals of their caliber are members, and it also must be extremely secretive, as no one has heard anything of Uchiha's doings since he defected four years ago. This also suggests that the organization has not been doing much work lately, at least openly. It could be that they are building their strength. As we did not actually engage in combat, I was unable to discern Hoshigaki's abilities. Uchiha appeared to be able to knock people out using some kind of genjutsu, possibly related to the Sharingan. If so, it was an ability that I have never come across in study, but note that I have never focused much on Kekkei Genkai. Whatever their mission was, it seemed to be important, because while Hoshigaki wanted to kill me immediately, Uchiha dissuaded him, implying that they needed to fulfill their mission as quickly and quietly as possible. It was later revealed that they were after a genin by the name of Uzumaki Naruto, for reasons that I do not know, and ironically enough, to get to him, they ended up fighting four high-ranking shinobi in total, as well as Uchiha Sasuke. That is all I was able to learn."

Her father nodded. "Good. You appear to have deduced a good amount from your experience… except you forgot one thing." He gave her a serious look. "Everything you have listed so far pertains to your enemy. I want to know what you learned from the experience _in general_."

"Um…" Miyako bit her lip. What had she learned from the whole thing? After a long moment of silence, she finally said tentatively, "Well… I learned that I need to be more careful so that I don't end up in a situation like that again. I don't want my only options to be run and die or stay and almost certainly die. I learned that I need to work on delaying people. If I had been able to hold them off longer, I would have had the rest of my team with me and we would have stood more of a chance."

"I see." Tadashi looked at her in that penetrating way he had. "And is there anything else?"

Miyako swallowed. "Well, I learned… I learned that…" She looked down. "I learned that it's harder than I would have thought to fight someone I knew a long time ago."

Her father inclined his head. "It truly is. I am glad that you learned this early, because it only gets harder. You felt betrayed when you saw him, did you not?"

Miyako nodded slowly. "I wanted him to go crawl in a hole and die."

"Did you let that show?"

She was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. I think I did."

"And I am sure you recognize that as a mistake." He looked at her hard. "Shinobi do not show their emotions. That is one of our first rules, one that you normally have no trouble following. What was it about this occasion that made it so different?"

"As I said previously, I believe it was the fact that had I known one of my opponents before his defection from the village. I was unable to control my anger."

Tadashi nodded. "It is good that you recognize the source of your weakness. However, you must be sure that you are able to use that to make yourself stronger."

"I understand, Father."

"Good." He nodded toward the door. "You may go."

"Goodbye, Father." As Miyako headed out the door, she smiled a little. That wasn't so bad. And with any luck, her katana training would go just as smoothly.

* * *

"Faster!" Tadashi commanded. "You are too slow!"

Miyako's eyes narrowed as she swept her katana in what would be a fatal cut across the stomach if she were fighting anything other than a straw dummy. In the two months since she had started with the sword, she had started fighting at speeds she would have gaped at only a short time ago, and yet her father thought she was still too slow? Sighing inwardly, she swung up from the "stomach" to slash across the chest, following that up with a whirl that culminated in a stab to the "eye". How much faster was she supposed to go?

"Stop!"

Miyako turned to see her father unsheathe the sword hanging from his waist. He stepped forward. "Stand back. Watch me." As Miyako moved back, her father eyed the dummy for a moment. Then he began to move.

It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. The katana was barely visible, only a blur of light slicing into the dummy. Straw flew wildly, almost obscuring the scene, but throughout it all, Miyako could make out her father, slashing, stabbing, cutting, hacking, all at speeds she could never picture herself reaching. She had always respected her father, but seeing him fighting put things into a whole new light. Tadashi wasn't just good. He was a master.

Finally, he stopped, barely even winded, and turned back to face his daughter. "_That_ is how fast you must be. You have the basic techniques, now you need to speed them up. We will work on this tomorrow. Same time, same place. That is enough for today. Rini's lesson will begin soon."

"Yes, Father," Miyako said quickly. "Thank you."

"Hm." He glanced behind, where the now-pitiful dummy swayed on its stand. "You know, I believe we are going to need a new dummy. Again."

"I must agree, Father."

Tadashi nodded slowly. "Yes. I will see what we can do about it before your sister arrives." He turned and looked at her. "You are dismissed."

"Thank you." Miyako turned and left the training field. She had several hours before Saki wanted to meet with the team, so she might as well get in some research. She had been going to the library daily to study up on Kekkei Genkai, and the amount of information she had gained was staggering. For a girl who prided herself on knowing anything she might need, it was a humbling experience to see the huge amount she still had to learn. If slightly irritating.

"Miyako! Hey! Miyako-chan!"

Miyako turned to see Fumio running up to her, waving. She stopped and waited for him to catch up with her. He raced up to her side and stopped, panting slightly. "You walk fast, Miyako-chan. Did you know that?"

"Sorry. I was heading to the library."

The boy grinned. "Aren't you always?" He laughed. "Anyways, I'm glad I ran into you. How's katana going?"

Miyako shrugged. "Well, I have a lot to learn. But all in all, it's going very well. How about you? How's the medical jutsu?"

Fumio's eyes widened. "Miyako-chan, it's amazing! I've been learning so much, especially since the Fifth Hokage came!"

"Oh, that's right. She's a medical ninja, isn't she?"

"Yes! And she knows so much, I've been wondering how on earth she manages to remember it all. She's worked with me a little bit, and I always come away with nearly twice as much knowledge in a particular subject than I had before." Fumio paused for a moment. "You know, I can't believe it took me so long to realize how much I love medicine."

"It certainly seems like you do," Miyako agreed. "I can't remember the last time I've seen you so excited. And it'll certainly be a huge help on the field."

Fumio looked uncomfortable. "Miyako-chan… about that…"

Miyako frowned. "What is it?"

"It's just…" The boy fingered the tiny braid that hung by his ear nervously. "Well… I don't know if I'm going to stay a field ninja."

Miyako stared. "You—what? But—you—"

"I'm never going to be as good as you or Rini," Fumio said quietly. "My taijutsu is weak, my ninjutsu is only slightly better, and I can't even use genjutsu. I knew I wasn't going to become a chuunin at the exams. I was only surprised that I got as far as I did." He took a deep breath. "But… I'm _good_ at medical jutsu. Apparently I have a really good instinct for what's wrong with someone, and I can generally figure out what needs to be done to fix it. It's only been a little while that I've been working at the hospital, but I can definitely see myself there in the future."

Miyako was silent. Fumio bit his lip. "Look, I'm probably still going to be on the team for a while. I'm going to talk to Saki-sensei and Tsunade-sama and see what they have to say. But if it turns out that they think I'll be better out of the field… well, that just confirms what I expected, doesn't it? And we can still work together and everything. I'll be more than happy to tell you how long it'll be before your broken arm heals."

"No you won't," Miyako said flatly. "I'm going to be in interrogation. They don't go into the field."

Fumio's eyes widened. "Oh. Oh. That's right. But don't you hate—"

"It doesn't matter how I feel about it," Miyako interrupted. "I have an ability they need. I'll be able to serve the village better in interrogation than on the field. That's what matters."

"Then why are you learning katana if you're going to spend your life inside?"

Miyako shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to have a back-up plan."

Fumio paused, doubt plain on his face. "Right. Okay."

Miyako folded her arms. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Well, honestly, Miyako-chan…" Fumio sighed and pushed his hair back. "You love the field. I know that. Your sister knows that. Saki-sensei knows that. And I don't think you're one hundred percent willing to give that up just because the village needs you somewhere else. And they managed without you for over eighty years. Why would they suddenly need someone with your abilities when there are others out there who can do the same thing?"

Miyako shook her head somberly. "It's different, though. Most people have to go sequentially and they have to go through everything before the part they really want. When I dig, it's like…" She paused, searching for the right words. "It's like I'm standing there in their minds, and there's a huge library full of memories. I go to the shelves and find the book I want, and then…" She shrugged. "I check it out. I can skip to the necessary parts, repeat things, sometimes rewrite. That's why they need me," she continued, a wry smile on her face. "No one else can interact in the way I can."

Fumio was silent for a moment. "Miyako-chan…" He looked down. "You'll do great in interrogation. I know you will. But… what about what you want?"

"That doesn't matter," Miyako said softly. "I work for the village. I do what's best for it. My personal wishes don't enter into the equation."

Fumio sighed defeatedly. "All right, Miyako-chan. Have it your way."

Miyako pressed her lips together. "I will, thank you." She glanced toward the library. "I need to go. See you later."

"Bye," Fumio said quietly. "Good luck with your research."

"Thank you." Miyako strode away from her teammate, her eyes closed in thought and her brain running a million miles an hour.

* * *

**Yay! I made it without throwing the computer against the wall! Please review!**

**If you have 3 quarters, 4 dimes, and 4 pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.**


	9. Times 2

**And now, I am pleased to present… more of the Akatsuki. Yes. Be afraid. Let's see, there was something I wanted to say, but I don't remember it… doubtless it'll pop into my head immediately after I post this. Oh well.**

**I'd like to thank MoonDemon36 for not only reviewing, but for adding this story to Story Alert and Favorite Stories, and me to Favorite Author and Author Alert. Wow! You win a gold star! All you others out there, please follow this wonderful person's example and review!**

**I do not own Naruto or The Offspring.**

* * *

"_Slowly out of line and drifting closer in your sights  
So play it out, I'm wide awake, it's a scene about me  
There's something in your way and now someone is gonna pay  
And if you can't get what you want, well it's all because of me"_

"_You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" by The Offspring_

* * *

There was a reason that home of the leader of Akatsuki was called the Village Hidden in Rain. Amegakure was constantly buffeted by huge torrents of rain, bolts of lightning, and gigantic hailstones falling from the enormous storm that forever hung above it. Outside the walls of the village was a huge swamp that the continually-soaked inhabitants avoided at all costs. Stories were told about the strange goings-on in the swamp, and they kept growing. There was a cult that had fused with the organisms there, and they were all now part animal or plant. No, they could make your blood explode out of you with a flick of a finger. Both were wrong, they actually had discovered the secret to immortality and were now gods who killed any who ventured into their domain. The rumors had become so incredible over the years that now even the highest ranking shinobi stayed away from the area, afraid of what they might find.

And the best part was that all the stories were all at least partly true.

The swamp hid the main base of Akatsuki, and as the leader of both the organization and Amegakure, Pain encouraged the rumors, and even started many of them, drawing inspiration from the members. Zetsu, Kisame, and Hidan were the source of many, but there were also stories about the shadow that could kill with a glance that Itachi knew were based on him. It was foolish in a way, but still, it served to keep people away. Akatsuki was powerful, but it would not have lasted nearly so long if there had been teams of shinobi coming in every week to train or do missions. The body count would start piling up, and Pain would have to do something about it, which would either destroy Akatsuki or Amegakure. Unsettlingly enough, no one was really sure which one it would be. But for now, the hideout was undiscovered, and things were as calm as they possibly could be when you lived with eight S-ranked criminals.

Which is to say, not calm at all.

"TOBI! What have you been doing with my clay, un?"

The masked man held out his hands proudly. "Tobi made a person! Look, Deidara-sempai!"

Deidara's eyes widened in shock. "My clay is not to be used for frivolous purposes, un! It's for _art_!"

Tobi looked down at the misshapen little man in his hands mournfully. "You don't like it, Deidara-sempai?"

"NO, I DO NOT!"

"Well, you don't have to be so mean about it!"

"JUST STAY OUT OF MY CLAY!"

"But why?"

"BECAUSE I SAID SO!"

"That's not a very good reason, Deidara-sempai!"

"IT'S A VERY GOOD REASON, UN!"

Itachi sighed as he sharpened a kunai in the corner of the room.

_Those two never stop, do they?_

No, they didn't, and it really was grating on his last nerve. Still, given Deidara's hatred of him, it probably wasn't the best idea to interfere. The blonde looked like he was about to explode now.

_Fair enough._

"STAY OUT OF MY CLAY UNLESS YOU WANT IT TO EXPLODE IN YOUR HANDS!"

Tobi stomped his foot. "Fine! Tobi will stay out of your stupid clay! Here!" And with that, he threw the clay on the ground, turned on his heel, and marched out indignantly. Deidara scowled after him.

"Hey! Don't just leave it… ugh!" Itachi couldn't resist shaking his head at the look on the blonde's face. Deidara whirled on him now. "And what are you smiling at, un?"

Itachi shrugged. "Was I smiling? I didn't notice."

Deidara's face contorted in a strange mixture of anger, confusion, and frustration. "I… er… ugh!" He threw up his arms and stomped out of the room, leaving Itachi alone. He closed his eyes, rejoicing in the quiet. It was so rare around here…

"DAMMIT KAKUZU, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO STOP WASTING OUR TIME WITH THESE EFFING BOUNTIES?"

Itachi didn't wait to hear Kakuzu's reply. Instead, he slipped out of the room quietly before either the offended Jashinist or the monotone miser could enter, and headed for his room. Maybe it would be quiet there…

_Heh. Not likely._

Ignoring the voice, Itachi moved into the dark hallway and sighed. Apparently more of the lightbulbs in the lamps had burned out, and since Kakuzu was too cheap to buy new ones, the hallway was pitch black. Last time this had happened, it had been three months before the lamps were working again. But somehow it didn't seem as bad as usual this time. Well, that was wonderful. Apparently his eyesight was even worse than he thought. Sighing, he reached his door and slid it open. Well, at least it wasn't sticking anymore. That at the very least had been fixed. But on the other hand, Tobi was standing in his room.

"What are you doing here?" Itachi asked coldly.

Tobi tilted his head innocently. "Tobi just wanted to see Itachi's room." And then, in a voice that had lost any playfulness, he continued, "And is that any way to talk to your great-uncle, Itachi-kun?"

Itachi sighed and shut the door to the room behind him. "I thought we had an agreement, Madara. I stay out of your way and you stay out of mine. So unless I've done something of which I was unaware…"

Madara shrugged. "No, that's correct. You've done nothing to interfere with my plans."

"So why this?" Itachi spread his arms to indicate the room. "Why are you here?"

"Believe it or not, I'm here to warn you." Ignoring Itachi's skeptical look, the masked man picked up a small figurine of a raven from the nightstand and examined it idly. "You probably remember Orochimaru."

Itachi nodded curtly. "It's fairly difficult to forget, actually."

Madara laughed shortly. "I'm sure. But anyways, I'm sure you know that he had his eye on your brother."

"Yes. What do you mean, _had_?"

"Well, let's just say that possession isn't the issue anymore." He tilted the raven upside down. "This is a container, isn't it?"

"Yes," Itachi replied flatly, struggling to keep his voice even. "Get to the point, Madara. What is going on?"

"Patience, Itachi-kun," Madara said calmly. "It's a virtue, you know." He looked back at the raven. "This has wonderful craftsmanship, actually. The catch is hidden beautifully."

"Madara…"

"Point taken. I'll begin, then." He placed the raven back on the nightstand and turned to Itachi. "Your brother left Konoha to join Orochimaru last night. The Sound Four came for him with their offer and he agreed. Apparently he thought staying in Konoha was getting him nowhere fast." The masked man laughed quietly. "I can understand that, actually. I can't believe I wasted so much time and effort in that hopeless village." He looked at Itachi, tilting his head. "No response? I would have expected _something_, even from you."

"Sasuke left Konoha," Itachi repeated.

Madara sighed. "I expected something a little more insightful than that. I'm sure you're aware that your brother joining Orochimaru means that he's that much closer to accomplishing that task you gave to him. So there's your warning. Make of it what you will." He pressed the eye of the raven and its head sprang open. Madara smiled down at the figurine. "An amusing toy. Goodbye, Itachi-kun. Think about what I said." He placed the raven back on the nightstand, turned, and left the room quietly, his posture changing from Madara's straight back to Tobi's goofy slouch as he went. Itachi stood still watching him leave. It was only after he was certain that the older Uchiha was truly gone that he sank down on the bed and placed his head in his hands.

_Well, he can go kiss Zetsu_, the voice commented dryly.

Itachi started to laugh shakily, but it turned into a hacking cough. He doubled over on the bed, his hand pressed to his mouth in a vain attempt to hold back the blood that was coming up. Finally the fit ceased and his shoulders relaxed. He stared at the blood covering his hand. It seemed he should be worried, but all he felt was that the whole thing was unbearably cliché.

The voice snorted. _You've got that right. Who came up with this story, anyways?_

That was hardly helping.

_It's not my job to be helpful._

That may be true, but the problem now was Sasuke. Itachi hadn't expected him to leave Konoha now. The only explanation was that Orochimaru had gotten to Sasuke somehow, and knowing the Sannin as he did, it seemed that the most likely explanation was a curse mark. That wasn't good, but it was manageable. The major problem would be if Orochimaru was planning on taking Sasuke's body right away, but if that had happened, Madara probably would have brought that up if only to see if he could make Itachi's mask crack. Last he had heard Orochimaru had needed a new body desperately, so in lieu of Sasuke, he had probably taken someone else's. That meant that there would be about two or three years before he was able to take a new body. The corner of Itachi's mouth pulled up in an unconscious smile. Two years, hm? Coincidentally, that was about how long the last doctor had told him he had to live. How on earth were things working out so well?

_Don't get used to it. There's got to be some monkey wrench that's going to get thrown into this situation. I mean, this is working out too_ _perfectly for your plans._

Well, even traitors had to have at least some amount of luck, right?

_Well, yeah, but… _The voice sounded uncharacteristically uneasy. _Like I said, this is _too _perfect. You've gone years without things going nearly this well, and suddenly everything is working out? It doesn't seem right. There has to be something._

That was true. In the meantime, though, he could focus on moving on to the next stage of his plan. After all, he had two years and that was all the time he needed.

* * *

**Okay! Moving right along here! Yay! **

**In 1899, President McKinley was assured by the director of the ****US Patent Office**** that "everything that can be invented has already been invented."**


	10. Minus 1 Plus 2

**Whoa! A seven-chapter stretch with only one review per chapter, and suddenly I get two and then three? I am happy here, people! Thanks to MoonDemon36, operaluva823, and Silmarion. I love you all! **

**So this is the last chapter before we dive into Part 2, and let me just say that I am excited! I've never gotten so far in a story before, so things are looking good here. Let's hope I can continue this!**

* * *

If someone said three years from now

You'd be long gone,

I'd stand up and punch them out

Cause they're all wrong…

Who knew?

"_Who Knew" by P!nk_

* * *

Mornings at the Akamine house were never quiet. Rini was prone to singing loudly when she showered, while Yumi liked to begin her day with a physical warm-up. For a while it hadn't been too bad, so Miyako had been able to handle it. About two years ago, though, Yumi had added jumping jacks to her routine, after which the noise had become so unbearable that Miyako had added a morning run to her schedule. Not only did it help her escape the clamor that her sisters somehow produced without any effort whatsoever, but speed and endurance were vital to improving as a shinobi. So every morning she would wake up, stretch, and go for a five-mile run. By the time she got back, the house would be mostly silent.

Today, though, was different. Instead of the usual quiet, there were loud thuds coming from the kitchen. Miyako ran through her mental checklist of family members. Let's see, her father was on a mission, her mother was running errands, Yumi was at the academy… that left Rini. And the thuds… they weren't like the small ones that Yumi produced while doing her jumping jacks, but larger, like the sound weapons made when they hit walls. Miyako blinked. Weapons. No. Rini could not be throwing weapons in the kitchen. She couldn't be that—

"AAGGGHHH!"

Completely abandoning her train of thought, Miyako rushed into the kitchen. "Rini? What is it?" Her eyes widened as she took in the chaos that was the room. Kunai and shuriken covered the walls and Rini's katana was stuck in the ceiling. Her sister stood glaring at an inexplicable scorch mark on the floor, the ends of her hair sizzling and a kunai clenched in her fist. "Oh my God. What happened?"

Rini snapped her head around to her twin. "IDIOT!" she shrieked, loudly enough that Miyako took an inadvertent step back. "STUPID—FREAKING—MORON—IDIOT!"

Miyako blinked. "Who? Me?"

"NOT YOU!" Veins were bulging in Rini's forehead and the look on her face was enough to make jonin run for their lives. "THAT FREAKING—MORON—SASUKE!"

"Wait. Why is Sasuke an idiot?"

"FREAKING MORON! I'LL KILL HIM!"

"Rini!" Miyako snapped. "I understand! He's a moron! But why?"

Rini paused for a moment, and then slowly started to laugh, something frighteningly violent in her eyes. "Oh, so you haven't heard then?"

"No, and I'm never going to if you don't tell me," Miyako retorted, the harshness of her words masking the worry that was growing inside her. What on earth was going on here? What could Sasuke have possibly done that would make her sister so furious?

"Well," Rini said quietly, yet with a disturbing smile that only added to Miyako's worry, "guess which revenge-obsessed _idiot_ left Konoha last night to join Slitherskin's Merry Band of Freaking Criminals and Psychopaths?"

Miyako frowned. "Slitherskin? Wait—" Her eyes widened as she realized what Rini was saying. "Orochimaru? You mean he left Konoha to join the man who killed the Third Hoka—?"

"Of course he did," Rini spat out, interrupting her. "After all, where else is he supposed to get the power to kill his freaking brother? Never mind that here he could be trained by someone who also has the Sharingan. Never mind that Slitherskin is a freaking traitor. It's not like reason matters when you exist to kill someone."

An uncontrollable fury built up in Miyako's stomach. Fury at Sasuke for deserting. Fury at Orochimaru for tempting him. And most of all, fury at Uchiha Itachi for starting this whole mess. "Damn him," she whispered, breathing in slowly, attempting to suppress the feelings that threatened to overtake her. She had to maintain control. Had to. She could not yield to emotion.

Rini's shoulders slouched, her laughter gone as soon as it started. "Yeah, that's right. Damn him. After all, there's nothing else we can do. People went after him, they're all in the hospital. He even turned against his best friend." She slumped down on the kitchen floor, putting her head on her knees. Miyako knelt down next to her sister. She felt she should say something comforting, but words failed her. What were you supposed to say to someone who had just found out that the boy they had had a crush on for years had defected? Finally, she just asked, "How did you find out?"

"Saki-sensei came by while you were on your run," Rini answered quietly. "She's friends with his team leader, remember? She thought I'd want to know."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Rini sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "Well, it's official. The whole family's psycho. Think that gets inherited along with the Sharingan?"

"It certainly would explain a lot."

Rini smiled a little at that. "Heck yeah it would." Suddenly, her eyes widened and she turned to Miyako. "Brilliant idea here! Teach me water jutsu!"

Miyako blinked. "I fail to see how that relates to anything we were just talking about."

"Well, yeah, it is kind of random," Rini agreed. "But come on, Miyako-chan! Saki-sensei says that most jonin can use two types of chakra natures. Sure, we've only been chuunin for a few months, but why not get started now? Plus, we're twins. If anyone can teach me to use water, it'll be you. And I'll teach you wind, and then we can learn ice together, and then we can go for jonin! Won't that be great?"

"Rini, what does this have to do with anything?" Miyako demanded, exasperated. "You go from throwing things at the wall because you're so furious, to begging me to teach you water jutsu… what is going on here?"

Rini shifted uncomfortably. "Well…"

"Well, what?"

"See, it's kind of a funny story. I was talking to Saki-sensei, and she was saying—"

"Rini. Get to the point."

Rini looked down at the floor. "Well… jonin are the ones who go after the big criminals. And even if Sasuke isn't big yet, Orochimaru is. So if we find him…"

Miyako was taken aback. "You… you want to become a jonin so you can go after Sasuke?"

"Well, yeah," Rini said quietly. "I mean, I don't know if you understand, but… I want him to come back. I think he can. It's not like when Itachi left. He hasn't killed anyone. He could have, but he didn't. He's just looking for power. And that means it may actually be possible to change his mind. And I want to try to do that."

Miyako looked at her sister for a long time, searching for the right words. Finally, she shook her head. "You're right. I don't understand."

Rini's eyes widened. "But—"

"Sasuke made a conscious decision to leave Konoha," Miyako interrupted. "If he had wanted to stay here, he would have done so. No, he didn't kill anyone, but the fact that he put his best friend in the hospital when he tried to stop him from leaving suggests that he really isn't interested in who he hurts, so long as he gets what he wants. And quite frankly, it could be that he's working his way up to killing. The change doesn't happen in one night. It takes time. And I won't be surprised if he ends up losing any morality he may have once had. If you think about it, he's been acting strangely ever since this year's chuunin exams. He's already more brutal now than he ever was before. The Uchiha Sasuke we grew up with is gone."

"You—" Rini stomped her foot. "You're so negative!"

"I'm realistic," Miyako corrected flatly. "You can't think that he'll come back and things will be exactly the same as they were before. It simply isn't plausible." Rini opened her mouth to say something more, but Miyako held up her hand to quiet her. "I'll still teach you water style and you can teach me wind. And we can become jonin and maybe we can track Sasuke down. But you need to bear in mind the things that I've told you. And there's one more thing."

Rini looked at her sister warily. "Yeah?"

"I want to find Itachi."

Rini blinked. "Um. Why?"

Miyako sighed. "I've been thinking a lot about that last encounter I had with him. And the more I think about it… the more I want him gone. Dead, arrested, I don't care. I just want him out of the way."

Rini snorted. "You're hardly going to be able to beat _Uchiha Itachi_if you train for a couple years."

"No, but if there's a team of shinobi that are all going after him, we may have a chance. Remember Father mentioned the other day that Tsunade-sama was starting a mission to track down the Akatsuki?"

Rini nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

"Well…" Miyako took a deep breath. "There's always a need for interrogators. Maybe I could help with that."

Rini looked at her sister for a long time. "You're seriously willing to do that?"

Miyako nodded firmly. "I am."

"Okay then…" Rini took a deep breath and it was like a light flipped on inside of her. She bounced up and grinned brightly. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get cracking!"

"Not so fast. You still need to clean up that mess you made."

"You aren't going to help me?"

"No."

"Darn you, Straightface."

* * *

**And with that, we officially conclude Part 1.**


	11. Sin 0

_**Hola, mis amigos**_**! Welcome to Part 2! And to celebrate, we're kicking things off with… a flashback! Because honestly, you can't have a Naruto story without a flashback. I actually skipped a fair amount of time because I couldn't think of anything to do with it, so we'll be starting after the Nibi is captured by Hidan and Kakuzu. Also, because the timeline in Naruto really makes no sense to me (how on earth does Naruto go from twelve to sixteen in two years?), I'm just going to simplify things and tell you everyone's ages. Miyako and Rini are nearly eighteen, Itachi is twenty-one, Fumio is eighteen, and Yumi is twelve. Yeah. I think that's everything. Happy Martin Luther King Day! **

**Thanks to MoonDemon36 for reviewing once again! I think you may be my new favorite person. **

**Oh, right, I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

"And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming  
Or the moment of truth in your lies  
When everything seems like the movies  
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive  
And I don't want the world to see me  
Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am"

"_Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls_

* * *

Some people fell too easily.

Itachi watched emotionlessly as the Nibi was drawn out of its host. It was rather depressing, really. The woman had been a jonin, with a high amount of control over the monster that lived inside her, and yet Hidan and Kakuzu had taken her down in only a few minutes. That was what they said, anyways. Hidan was inclined to exaggeration, but Kakuzu was more factual, and they hadn't started arguing yet over the precise amount of time taken to capture her, so it could be true.

It looked almost like the woman was screaming as the blue essence of the Bijuu that had been part of her for so long streamed out of her mouth and eyes, but Itachi knew it wasn't so. The Jinchuuriki was inches from death and unconscious. She wasn't capable of making a sound. Still, the harsh hisses that were a side effect of the extraction procedure echoed in his head, just as they had every other time. He knew that they would stay there for weeks, haunting him along with the screams and moans of every other person he had ever killed. Especially those of Shisui and Hideyo.

He still heard them, louder and more clearly than any of the others. The muffled, garbled sounds emitting from Shisui's throat as he struggled in vain to raise his head above the water. Hideyo's soft gasp as she looked down at the katana in her stomach. There had been looks of such utter betrayal in their eyes. Shisui had fought back, scratching and clawing at the hands that held him down, but Hideyo had just stood there. Had she truly believed he wouldn't kill her? Had she trusted him that much? She had never been cut out for life as a shinobi. She was clumsy. She was untalented. At the age of thirteen, her Sharingan still had not awakened. She was trusting and forgiving and kind and everything an Uchiha should not be. And yet she had died along with those who had planned the coup. It had to be done. There was no room for affection in the life of a shinobi. Yet what had he done almost immediately after that? He had allowed Sasuke to live. A hypocritical action which he still could not forget. But was that so unusual? After all, he had forgotten nothing. He remembered everything about the day before it had happened…

* * *

A wild knock at the door interrupted Itachi from his examination of his katana. He sighed and looked up. "Yes?"

"Airhead to Genius," a girl's voice called. "Requesting permission for entry."

Itachi smiled a little, looking down at his desk. "Permission granted. Enter at will."

The door creaked open and a short-haired girl stuck her head in, smiling brightly. "Hey, Itachi-kun. How're you doing?" She caught sight of the katana and her eyes widened. "Whoa. Please tell me you're not going to slice me open just for coming over unannounced."

Itachi shook his head. "No, I was just sharpening it. I've got a… mission tonight." He sheathed the sword and turned to face the girl, who raised an eyebrow.

"Mission, huh? Anything interesting?"

"You know that the work I do for ANBU is classified, Hideyo," Itachi rebuked her gently.

She shrugged lightly. "Yeah, well, it was worth a shot. Oh, by the way, what do you think of my new haircut?" She ran her fingers through the choppy strands and grinned. "I call it 'Fireball Jutsu Fail.'"

Itachi winced. "Do I want to know what happened?"

Hideyo laughed. "Well, that's the thing. See, I was practicing the fireball jutsu and I forgot to take the wind conditions into account…"

"And you burned your hair."

"Yep. Almost all of it," she confirmed. "Mom was _mad_. You have no idea. She was totally quiet while she was helping me cut off the singed parts, and you know how unusual _that_ is." Itachi nodded. Hideyo's mother was infamous for her sharp tongue and the only time she was quiet was when she was furious beyond words.

"What did your father say?"

Hideyo made a face, remembering. "Told me I wasn't worthy of the name Uchiha, brought shame to the family, same old drill. By the way, I think that was a little overly dramatic considering the circumstances, even for him, but he still probably would have disowned me by now if it weren't for you."

"Me?"

She grinned now, her whole face lighting up. "Yeah. If the pride of the Uchiha clan is my boyfriend, then I can't be a _complete_ failure." She flopped down on the bed and bounced up and down a few times. "So thanks for saving me from the wrath of the Parental Units. Again."

Itachi got a sick feeling in the bottom of his stomach but his expression remained carefully neutral. "You're welcome."

Hideyo's smile widened. "See, that's why I love you, Itachi. You take everything so seriously."

Itachi blinked. "What did you just say?"

"Um. What?"

"You said that you—" Itachi broke off, unable to say the words. Hideyo's eyes widened as she realized what he was referring to.

"That I love you?"

Itachi nodded wordlessly. Hideyo bit her lip. "I-I'm sorry. Should I not have said that? I just thought that now was an okay time—"

"Well, it wasn't," Itachi said more sharply than he had intended, cutting her off. Hideyo looked hurt. He shook his head in apology and raked his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Hideyo. It's just… I wasn't prepared for that, and… ever since Shisui died, I've been a little…" He trailed off. "Well, you know that we were close. And it's hard to believe that he killed himself. There were no signs that anything was wrong and… well, I suppose I'm just having a hard time dealing with it. But… I shouldn't have taken it out on you, and I apologize for that."

Hideyo nodded quietly. "I understand," she said softly, tucking a choppy strand of hair behind her ear. "Actually, I'm surprised you're dealing as well as you are. You guys were like brothers, after all. And yeah, there weren't any signs and he was so dedicated to the clan… I'd never in a million years think that you killed him, the way some people do, but still…" She broke off and took a deep breath. "Anyways, you know you can talk to me about anything, right, Itachi? I'll listen. I'm sure I can sit still long enough for that." She smiled shakily, looking expectantly at Itachi. He nodded and her smile became genuine. "You're a good guy, Itachi. Sometimes so much so I can't believe it. If I could be even half as amazing as you…"

Itachi shook his head, wishing beyond belief that he could say something to her that would accurately convey his affection for her, his hatred of himself, how sorry he was about the way everything was going to end, but the only thing he could manage was a quiet, "You're better." Hideyo laughed.

"I don't believe you, but thanks anyways." She stood up and hugged him and Itachi lowered his head into her shoulder, losing himself in what would probably be their last embrace. He had not told any falsehoods in his conversation with Hideyo. Yet every piece of twisted truth had hurt more than a lie.

* * *

The Nibi host moaned again, and Itachi came back to present day. How long had he been lost in his memories? A minute? Two? Whenever he allowed himself those moments of reflection, it seemed like they took forever, but hardly any time actually passed. He had two more days until this process was over. There was still time to forget the present, ignore the future, and lose himself in the past before he had to confront life head-on.

* * *

**Whew. I swear it feels like each chapter takes longer and longer to complete. I have no idea if that's true or not, and honestly, I don't care right now. After all, it's done, and soon we'll get to the really good stuff.**

**Movie star Audrey Hepburn worked as a spy during World War II, smuggling messages to the Allies in her ballet slippers.**


	12. Tan Negative 45

**So… yeah. New chapter. Yay. And wow, ElwynWanderer! You get a… wait, what's better than a gold star? Platinum? Okay, you get a platinum star for reviewing nearly every single chapter! Thank you so much! Also, thanks to anyone who added this story to Favorites or Story Alert. You're all awesome!**

**Sorry to all those regular readers out there for how long it took to get this chapter out. I had a pretty bad case of writer's block, but I'm mostly better now. Please enjoy!**

* * *

The same tricks that, that once fooled me  
They won't get you anywhere  
I'm not the same kid from your memory  
Well, now I can fend for myself

"_Ignorance" by Paramore_

* * *

Some people broke too easily.

Miyako eyed the criminal slumped on the chair and sighed. It had taken the entire field squad to bring him in, and what happened as soon as he was taken to her? Broken within minutes, without even a need to use some of her devious or more invasive techniques. It was truly amazing how different strength of body was from strength of mind. With one last look at the shuddering man, she opened the door and nodded to the man in the ANBU uniform who sat outside. "Extraction complete."

The man raised an eyebrow. "So soon? Interesting. Any new information?"

"None, Yoshiro-taicho."

Yoshiro sighed and rubbed at his forehead. "Well, I suppose it was too much to hope. Do you have the energy for another?"

"Yes, Yoshiro-taicho."

"Hm. I'll have Daichi bring him over." Yoshiro stood to leave, then glanced back at the man. "What's his mental state?"

"He was entirely unprepared for any interrogation techniques," Miyako replied flatly. "He may never fully regain the use of his mind."

Yoshiro's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Heh. Well, no great loss. I'll go get Daichi." He nodded at the man. "In the meantime, take care of him. There's a full meeting in half an hour. I want you finished by then. Clear?"

"Yes, Yoshiro-taicho."

"As I expected. Keep up your work."

Yoshiro executed a sharp turn and left, and Miyako collapsed into a chair. That last extraction hadn't been so bad in and of itself, but combined with the others she had performed that day, she was on her last leg. There seemed to be no shortage of criminals somehow associated with Akatsuki, and they all had to be interrogated. Yoshiro did many himself, but since Miyako was being evaluated as a candidate for ANBU, she had to do even more. If she hoped to make it in, though, she couldn't show any weakness. She had to be the best of the best, and there were countless other interrogation specialists who would give anything to be in her place. She could not give in to anything, least of all herself.

Miyako's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She leapt up from her chair and pushed back the unruly strands of hair that had fallen into her eyes. "Come in," she called, her voice masking the exhaustion she felt. The door opened and a spiky-haired young man stepped into the room, pulling an unconscious older man along with him.

"Delivery for Akamine Miyako," he said cheerfully. "Do your mind-wrecking thing."

Miyako glared at him. "If things go well, no minds should be wrecked, Daichi."

"Well, apparently that last one didn't go well, now did it?" Daichi retorted lightly, jerking his head toward the prisoner still shaking on the chair. "I mean, on the bright side, we've got one less headache to deal with, but you've still got that on your conscious, right? How does it feel?"

"Leave the new prisoner, take the old one, and go," Miyako said coldly. "I don't need this right now."

Daichi shrugged. "Who does, right?" Miyako glared at him, and he sighed. "Yeah, point taken. Anyways, this guy was seen discussing some sort of trade with an unidentified Akatsuki member. It's not much, but it could lead to something, right?"

Miyako sighed and pushed her hair back. "Based on all the other conversations I've seen that could lead to something, probably not. And was it a member we've never seen before, or could you not tell?"

Daichi made a face. "He was wearing one of those hats and the cloak was zipped up all the way. Also, if you aren't a downer, I don't know who is." He ignored Miyako's pointed look, and instead led the new man to the now-vacated chair and sat him down in it. Standing, he moved to the first man, pulled him up, moved over to the door, and threw Miyako a mock salute. "See ya." She nodded curtly. As soon as he was gone, she moved over to the new man and crouched in front of him. Her eyes closed for a moment as she placed herself inside the character of the interrogator, cold, flat, emotionless, calculating. Feeling herself settle into the role, she reached out and carefully arranged her fingers on his forehead. "Chakra Burst," she whispered, and she felt her hand pulse as chakra streamed into the man, whose eyes flew open and darted from left to right, obviously trying to figure out how he had gone from his holding area to this new room. His eyes finally settled on Miyako, who had risen from her crouch and was now leaning against a wall. She smiled slightly, a calculated effort to throw the man off balance. Let the interrogation begin.

* * *

It didn't take Miyako long to realize that the suspect knew just about nothing. That much was clear. His meeting with the Akatsuki had been a one-time occurrence, and he didn't even know who he had spoken with. He had been setting up a meeting between the Akatsuki member and someone else, an herbalist. What ever it was that Akatsuki needed an herbalist for, Miyako wasn't sure, but all that mattered at this point was that they had a lead. It was more than they had had for the past two weeks. Locking the door on the now-unconscious man, she headed for the meeting room, interrogation notes in hand. She poked her head into the room, where the others sat waiting for her. With a slight nod of apology for keeping them waiting, she slipped quietly into the room and sat down next to Rini, who gave her sister a quick smile.

There were eight shinobi in their sector total. Aside from Miyako, Rini, and Yoshiro, there was Ai, a flighty, nervous woman who led the field squad, a large, burly man named Osamu, a man named Jun who had only spoken about ten words in the whole time they had been there, Tetsuya, their long-suffering medical specialist, and, of course, Daichi, whose major talent seemed to be making others uncomfortable. Needless to say, he and Rini got along wonderfully. Everyone else found him about as annoying as Miyako did. At the moment, he was leaning forward and talking animatedly about something Miyako couldn't make out to Jun, who looked bored out of his mind. Yoshiro looked at him and cleared his throat. Daichi jumped and sat up straight, grinning in apology. Jun didn't even flinch. Yoshiro sighed. "Well, now that we're all here, let's get started. Ai, did your squad pick up any information today?"

Ai shook her head, her fingers twisting nervously. "We didn't even see a shadow that shouldn't be there. This is the second day in a row that we've gotten nothing. Absolutely nothing. It doesn't feel right."

Yoshiro looked vaguely skeptical. "Any support for Ai's claim from the field squad?"

Rini raised her hand. "Ai-taicho is right. It was weirdly quiet today. Didn't even hear birds or anything. I'm thinking Akatsuki may have finally decided enough is enough and stopped using informants from this area since we've been picking up anyone who so much as sneezes funny."

"Seconded," Daichi said, who looked oddly relaxed in his stiff chair. "Maybe we've been a little too indiscriminant in our choices. We may have scared them away."

"That remains to be seen," Yoshiro said coolly. "Anything else from the field squad?" Rini, Daichi, Ai, and Jun looked at each other and shook their heads in unison. Yoshiro sighed. "Very well. Anything from the base squad?"

Miyako raised her hand. "I performed a number of interrogations today and I have the results here." She held up the folder that contained the notes she had taken. "I think I actually may have found something."

Yoshiro raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

She took a deep breath and pulled out the notes. "Well, most of the interrogations yielded no new information. However, in the latest one, we had a subject by the name of Fujikawa Keita who was actually seen in conversation with a member of Akatsuki. He denied any involvement, but I used a Level Two extraction on him and was able to find that in his conversation, he was setting up a meeting between the Akatsuki member and an herbalist. He didn't know who the member was, and he didn't know why they needed the herbalist, but he knew who this herbalist is and where we can find him. I feel it may be worth a shot." She stood and handed Yoshiro the report. "The full summary is in here."

Yoshiro glanced through the pages quickly, then returned his attention to Miyako. "So the field squad will be able to find this herbalist, then?"

Miyako nodded. "Hopefully. We know where he lives, at least."

"Hm." Yoshiro closed the report and handed it back to her. "See if there is anything more you can find out from the man, and fill out the appropriate papers. In the meantime, the field squad will go out and attempt to hunt down this herbalist of which you speak. Is this clear?" he asked, turning to Ai. The woman nodded quickly.

"Can do. We'll be on it tomorrow morning. Should be done soon."

"Good." Yoshiro faced the rest of the unit. "You are all dismissed. We will meet again tomorrow at the same time." The shinobi all stood to leave, talking quietly amongst themselves. As the others filed out, Rini glanced over at Miyako.

_We need to talk, Miyako-chan._

Miyako raised an eyebrow. _Now?_

_Yes. Now. Come on._

Miyako sighed and followed her sister to a secluded area. Rini glanced from side to side. "Okay, there's no one around. We can talk now."

Miyako folded her arms. "What do you want, Rini? I have mountains of paperwork to do."

"Yeah, and that's exactly why we need to talk. When are you going to ask Yoshiro-taicho to let you out on a field assignment?"

"I'm not." Miyako turned to walk away, but Rini grabbed her arm.

"Listen to me. You are every bit as good a field agent as I am, and we both know that Yoshiro can handle the paperwork on his own. We wouldn't even _have _this lead if it wasn't for you. Why won't you ask him?"

"I can't do that," Miyako said flatly. "The whole reason I'm here is because they needed an interrogator. That's my job. You're the one here for evaluation as a field agent. I have my own things to do."

"Like what? Yoshiro's dirty work that he says is training? That's bull and we both know it."

"To what dirty work are you referring?" Miyako asked coldly.

"I'm referring to the hard cases. The ones where you have to tear people apart to get your answers. Haven't you noticed by now that he's purposefully giving you the ones he thinks will require the most energy?"

"It's training. I need to know how to deal with them—"

"Uh huh. And does that training also consist of working you until you're about to collapse from exhaustion?" Miyako opened her mouth to speak, but Rini cut her off. "Look, I know that you think you need to prove yourself. But there's a fine line between doing that and being so eager to do well that you take any crap anyone gives you. Yoshiro is taking advantage of your hard work, and you can't even argue with me because you know I'm right. So when are you going to stick up for yourself?"

Miyako looked away. "It's just two more months until we go back. I can deal with it."

"That's not what I'm worried about here. I'm worried about you wasting your field skills so that you can prove something that Yoshiro already knows." Rini glanced over her shoulder. "Okay, I know you said you had a ton of paperwork, and I have a bunch of stuff to do too, so I'll let you go."

"Thank you." Miyako started away, but Rini blocked her path.

"Hold on, Miyako-chan. I want you to think about what I said. Can you do that for me?" Rini's direct gaze was unnerving, but Miyako held it anyways.

"I promise," she answered, eyes cool, mind blocked from Rini's probing.

Rini nodded. "Good. I'll see you later, okay?"

Miyako nodded slightly and turned to walk away, back erect. She had no intention of following through with Rini's insistence, but deep down, there was a part of her that agreed. Why shouldn't she go on a field assignment? Why should she be stuck inside in a stuffy room, firing questions after question at people who had absolutely nothing to do with Akatsuki? She was tired. She was tense. She needed to exert herself physically, not just mentally. But… this was her assignment. This was why she was here. And maybe she would eventually be able to say that even if she didn't enjoy interrogations, she could stand them. She could do that. And if she couldn't… well, like she had told Rini, there were only two months left until they returned to Konoha. Maybe she could request a different assignment once they returned.

For now, though, she had work to do.

* * *

**Gaaaaaaah. That… sucked to get through. I think I averaged maybe three sentences a day? Ugh. For any high school students out there considering taking AP Biology, I'm just warning you right now—you will hate yourself. At the very least, don't overburden yourself with honors and AP classes. Bear this in mind as you choose your schedules.**

"**Get your facts first, then distort them as you please" –Mark Twain**


	13. Cos 1

**You know, I made this promise to myself that I would work way harder on this story once summer started. However, due to a combination of Harry Potter, Deadpool, The Adventures of Doctor McNinja, and summer homework, that didn't work out so well. But I swear I'll finish this story, and I'll hopefully do so before I go to college. (:/) Anyways, here's chapter 13, the second of what will be three flashback chapters. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Oh, for heaven's sake, you all know I don't own anything!**

* * *

_Once I called you brother  
Once I thought the chance  
to make you laugh  
Was all I ever wanted...  
This was my home  
All this pain and devastation  
How it tortures me inside  
All the innocent who suffer  
From your stubbornness and pride..._

"_The Plague" from "The Prince of Egypt"_

* * *

Day two of the sealing. Itachi had been drifting in and out of memories for the past two days, going farther and farther back with each new reminiscence. It was pleasant, in a way, to think back on the times before the running, the hiding, the sickness, the fear. But more so, it was penance, forcing himself to think back on the lives he ruined. It wasn't just the Uchiha he had hurt. It was Konoha, by depriving them of almost their entire police force. The other shinobi, by taking away their trusted teammates. And those who had friends among the Uchiha, those who laughed and talked and played with those of his clan. Yes, it was the Uchiha he had killed. But their stories had ended there. They had not been left behind to pick up the pieces after a seemingly senseless act of murder. And yet they haunted him.

He remembered their faces. He remembered their screams. He remembered their actions, and it was impossible to escape. Some memories flitted before him like butterflies, there and then gone, while others seemed to plant themselves in front of him and scream for his attention. A few did this more than others. Hideyo, for one. His parents. And Shisui—Shisui, whose death had begun everything...

* * *

Itachi's kunai landed in the center of the target with a satisfying _thud_. He allowed himself a small smile as he turned to his cousin Shisui and nodded. "I believe that breaks our tie."

Shisui groaned. "God, here I am getting beaten by a thirteen year-old. This is depressing."

"I would have thought that you'd be used to it by now," Itachi said innocently. "After all, I have beaten you every time for the past three years."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're buying lunch now." Shisui strode over to the exit of the training field and turned to face his younger cousin. "Coming?"

Itachi nodded. "Just a moment. I need to get my kunai back."

"Right. I'll be outside."

Itachi headed to the target and pulled out the kunai. He idly ran his finger over the tip. It looked like he would have to sharpen them soon; he should have drawn blood. Sighing, he placed the kunai in the holster and joined Shisui outside. "Ready?"

"Yep. Let's go."

The two silently began the trek back to the village. For a few minutes the quiet prevailed, but then Shisui turned his head to look at Itachi. "Itachi, about the coup… you _are _in, right?"

Itachi frowned at his cousin. "What made you bring this up?"

Shisui shrugged in what was obviously an attempt to seem lighthearted. "I don't know. I guess I just wanted to hear your answers."

Itachi nodded quietly and looked down the road. "You know that I always follow orders."

"Yeah, you do. But as for me?" Shisui sighed. "I don't know. I've been thinking about it a lot, and I feel bad about it to a certain extent. I mean, there are loads of people who are going to die. But on the other hand, the clan has been repressed long enough. We were always more powerful than the Senju, but thanks to our spineless ancestors, they ended up with all the power. It's not right. They should have listened to Madara and turned down the treaty."

Itachi shook his head. "Madara was insane. I'm not saying that he was wrong that we should have been more careful about trusting the Senju, but he killed his brother to get his eyes. That's just…" He shook his head again and looked down at the path beneath his feet. "I can't describe how evil that is. Someone like that doesn't deserve to live."

"But it _worked_," Shisui stressed. "Say what you will about him, Madara knew how to get things done."

"You have no idea." Itachi glanced over towards the trees, halfway expecting the masked man to be watching him from the shadows. However, no red eyes met his own, and he felt a momentary wave of relief pass over him. At least there was one thing he didn't have to worry about right now.

Shisui laughed shortly. "I don't know, I think I have a pretty good idea how well he worked."

"And you admire that about him?"

Shisui nodded affirmatively. "Definitely. I wish everyone was that proactive."

Proactive probably wasn't the best word for Madara. Insane, more like. Crazed with the obscurity of the Uchiha. Dead-set on bringing them back into the spotlight at any cost. And Shisui agreed with his methods… Itachi glanced away again, steeling himself to say the words that would begin it all. "Shisui… I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay. What?"

"Not now. Meet me at the bridge at midnight." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "And also… don't tell anyone that you're coming."

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "That important, huh?"

"You could say that."

Shisui grinned. "I'll be there. I love a good bit of classified information."

Itachi merely nodded. "We'll see how you feel about this."

* * *

Midnight. It was almost completely black outside, with only small pinpricks of star lighting the night sky. A cold breeze whistled by, but Itachi didn't shiver in the chilly air. He almost didn't even notice it by now.

Shisui was already at the bridge. Itachi could see his silhouette leaning against the rail in a relaxed position. That was Shisui, all right. No matter how stressed he really was, he always looked entirely unaffected, completely cool. Girls always fawned over him because of it, and Shisui certainly had fun with them. But he was never serious about anything. Nothing except the clan, anyways. Everything else took a backseat to that, even his duties as a shinobi.

Itachi took his first step onto the bridge. Shisui turned his head as he approached even though Itachi had been totally silent. Doubtless Shisui had sensed him coming. His cousin straightened up, stretching his arms over his head. "Well, I'm here, Itachi," he said quietly so that his voice wouldn't carry. "What did you want to talk about?"

Itachi further approached Shisui and stopped a few feet in front of him. "It's about the coup," he answered softly. "Remember how I told you I always follow orders?"

Shisui nodded. "Yeah. And?"

"I didn't just receive them from my father." Shisui frowned, but Itachi went on. "I've been a spy ever since I made ANBU. I've been warning the Hokage and elders about what the clan is planning, and they told me to put a stop to it." He paused slightly. "The thing is," he continued quietly, "I can't do it now."

"Meaning?" Shisui asked coldly.

"Meaning that I'm too weak. I need a more powerful weapon if I'm going to stop them all on my own." He stopped. Shisui had sunk into a defensive crouch and his hand was on his shuriken holster. Itachi closed his eyes momentarily. "Oh for heaven's sake, Shisui, you know you can't beat me. I've won against you ever single time we sparred. Why would you even try?"

"You want the Mangekyou, is that it?" Shisui demanded, his voice ragged. "You want to win it by killing me? Fine! Go ahead! How are you going to explain my disappearance?"

Itachi shook his head. "I've already written your suicide note. You're going to drown yourself, Shisui. You have no more hope for anything or anyone. You can't live like this anymore. You just want it to end." He took a step forward. Shisui shook his head.

"That isn't me," he whispered. "That's you."

Itachi paused for a moment, considering. "Maybe," he acknowledged, and then he lunged forward. Shisui brought his hand up to block him, but Itachi was too fast. He grabbed Shisui, leapt over the bridge, into the river, and thrust Shisui's head underwater. The older shinobi kicked and struggled, fighting desperately, but Itachi held on, not giving even an inch. After a few minutes, his struggles ceased and the body went limp. However, Itachi still touched a wary finger behind Shisui's ear to test for a pulse, hoping beyond hope that his cousin was really and truly dead. After no heartbeat pressed against his finger, he loosened his grip on his best friend's head, dropped him into the river, and watched the current carry the corpse away, the bloated purple face staring back at him blankly. Itachi turned away. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He closed his eyes for a moment and then looked down at the water.

The Mangekyou Sharingan stared back at him.

Reality had never seemed so sweet to Itachi as at that moment when he pulled himself out of the memory. Even the Nibi host's decaying body evoked less guilt in him than the thought of how Shisui had died. At least Itachi had not been responsible for the death of the woman in the center of the cavern. She would have died even without him.

_You're just trying to make yourself feel better._ The voice sounded oddly numb. _You may not be directly responsible for her death, but you still killed her. Don't try to delude yourself._

Itachi closed his eyes in exhaustion. The voice was right, of course. It always seemed to be right about these things. But what it didn't seem to understand was that now, with everything falling apart around him, his delusions were all he had left.

* * *

**It is illegal for men to wear strapless dresses in Miami, Florida. That's probably a good thing.**


	14. Find x

**Ohmygoodness, it's been a long time. Sorry about that, guys. Actually, part of the problem was that I fell off my Naruto kick for a while, and I only just started to catch up on the story. This does present a bit of a problem for _Calculations_, as things are revealed that were not known when I started this story, so I regret to say that I shall simply have to ignore recent canon from now on. (Then again, this whole story is kind of about screwing up canon, so there's that.) On the other hand, the recent chapters do a great job (in my opinion, at least) of revealing aspects of Itachi's character that haven't really been seen before and will make it easier for me to write about him. So that's good. **

**In another note, I'm kind of out of practice with this whole "writing for fun" thing, so this may be a little awkward. Still, I'm determined to finish this story, even if it takes me until grad school to do it (which at this point is looking like a distinct possibility). Thanks for bearing with me, and thanks to everyone who reviewed or added the story to favorites. You guys rock!**

* * *

There, out in the darkness  
A fugitive running  
Fallen from grace  
Fallen from grace  
God be my witness  
I never shall yield

Till we come face to face

"_Stars" from Les Miserables_

* * *

The day started out innocuously enough. Miyako reread some of her reports, organized the file room, and practiced her katana against one of the dummies in her room. Yoshiro wrote a progress report to send to Konoha, Tetsuya muttered to himself over a cough syrup he was making for a woman in the nearby village, Jun was nowhere to be found, and Rini, Ai, Daichi, and Osamu were out looking for Akatsuki's herbalist. It was quiet enough considering the number of people who were normally there.

And then things changed.

It started with a pile of papers. Miyako could have sworn that they had been perfectly arranged on her desk the night before, but when she came back a corner was poking out of the previously perfect stack. She frowned. Could she have missed that earlier? It seemed unlikely, but she had been working so hard lately that she really wouldn't be _too _surprised if she had. It was a little surprising, however, to see how much this bothered her. It was just a pile of papers, she told herself. It doesn't mean you're falling down on the job. But that lone corner was still haunting her two hours later when Rini and the rest of the field squad returned, no herbalist to be found.

"There was no sign of him," Rini shrugged. "He probably found out we were coming and hightailed it out of here." Ai twisted her hands nervously.

"We need to find him," she muttered. "Soon. Can't risk losing the lead. They'll kill me…"

"What?" Daichi asked, looking at Ai oddly. The woman shook her head rapidly.

"Nothing. Idle talk. Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"We can look one more time this evening," Osamu said in his soothing bass as Daichi tensed up. "An herbalist with no fighting experience? He can't have gotten far."

"Let's hope," Yoshiro said dryly. "It would be a shame if you all weren't able to do your jobs."

Miyako hadn't said anything throughout the whole exchange, though she couldn't help but wonder how the herbalist could have possibly found out they were looking for him. The man who had given them the information was safely locked up in one of Yoshiro's special holding cells, and every member of the field squad swore that they had covered their trail taking him. There was a note in his handwriting at his house declaring that he had gone to visit his sister in Mizugakure (a useful tidbit Miyako had discovered while digging through his mind), and it seemed this was a trip he took fairly often. There was nothing to be suspicious about. So where was their missing herbalist?

She glanced back at that stack of papers and frowned. She _knew _that she had straightened them out after finding that corner sticking out, but if anything the papers looked even messier. She sighed inwardly and sent out a mental wave to her sister. _Rini?_

Her twin replied almost instantaneously. _Yes, Straightface?_

_Did you go through my papers? I had them all organized and now there's a corner sticking out._

_A corner? Heavens above, whatever will we do?_

_I'm serious, Rini. This is incredibly classified stuff. Yoshiro and I are the only ones who are supposed to look at it before it goes back to Konoha. Just stay out of my things, all right?_

_Miyako-chan, I haven't touched your things. Do you really think I'd be interested in a bunch of dry paperwork saying you've achieved jack in your interrogations?_

Miyako didn't answer for a moment, leaning back in her chair and staring down at the papers in front of her. It was true, Rini thought that everything involved in interrogations was drop-dead boring. And besides, she had been either away or busy all day, so she wouldn't even have had time to come in. So how had the papers gotten messed up? She glanced over at the stack. It was odd, she hadn't thought to check what these reports dealt with. They weren't hers, she could see that much. Or at least the one on top wasn't. On a whim, she leaned over to read the top sheet, taking in the name, the interrogating officer, and the information received. There was more than they usually got, this had apparently been fairly successful. She turned the page and checked the same subjects on the next report. Another successful one. Was this just the success pile? She turned to the page that had been sticking out and read the name. Her eyes widened.

Oh no.

_Miyako-chan? You there? _

Miyako forced her thought-voice to remain calm._ Rini, have you noticed anyone coming into this room lately? Someone you wouldn't expect?_

_Um… I don't think so. I haven't seen Jun lately, though, and Daichi's been acting a little weird. Well, weirder than usual, I mean. Why do you ask?_

_These papers that keep getting disheveled—they're interrogation results. The successful ones, the ones that tell us about informants or activity or something like that. And the paper sticking out is the one I filled out for the man who told us about the herbalist. It has all the information on his habits, where he lives, who he knows… anything you'd need to find him and warn him that Konoha's after him. _

_Where are you going with this?_

Miyako took a deep breath. _Rini, I think we have a spy._

* * *

**So… yeah. I realize that was pretty short and I really am sorry about this, considering how long I've been gone, but I'm out of practice and I need a bit of time to get back in the swing of things. So as an apology, I'll give you guys a bit of a preview: in the next chapter we'll finish up with the Itachi flashbacks and that will soon be followed by Itachi and Miyako's first meeting in four years. Don't miss it, and don't forget to review!**

**In the early days of the telephone, operators would pick up a call and use the phrase, "Well, are you there?". It wasn't until 1895 that someone suggested answering the phone with the phrase "number please?"**


End file.
